Alice in Middle Earth: The Fellowship of the Ring
by The Drunk Pixie
Summary: 1/3. A young girl named Alice Dawn travels to Middle Earth entirely on accident, where she becomes the 10th Walker, and learns strange things about herself, and why she is here.  Legolas/Boromir/OC triangle.  Rated for mature themes and language.
1. Prologue

**Based this off the idea of a modern Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Her backstory is based off the song "Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera, Lil Kim, P!nk, and Mya from the movie Moulin Rouge!. Alice refers to her 'home' as a brothel, but it's really a cabaret.**

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!... Except Alice. Yeah, I own her.**

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><p>Alice finishes the last few chords of a song, the name of which escapes her, as the sun sets over the horizon. She lingers, not wanting to head 'home'. Her day job was perfectly legal as long as she kept some kind of hat or tin plate of some kind in front of her. Her night job, though, wasn't as legal. In February of 2011, in New Orleans, Louisiana, prostitution was legal as long as you weren't caught. Luckily for her boss, one Harry Zigler, there were enough corrupt cops and politicians in town to keep the cabaret where Alice worked and lived going.<p>

She decides, as she put her money into her small, hand-made (by her, of course) satchel and slings her guitar over her shoulder, to take a walk through town. New Orleans was, is, and always would be, home to her. She loves the smell of liquor and cigarette smoke that always hangs on the air. She loves every single cobblestone that was laid in the street where she walks. She loves every child that played in the streets near their houses. She loves this city, and wouldn't leave for the world.

Her brown, short hair bounces as she walks. Her blue, almost grey, eyes take in everything as she strides down Bourbon Street. The cabaret where she lives and works is in another part of town, but she prefers the French Quarter to any other part of New Orleans. She walks by Johnny White's, a small restaurant that was almost home to some of the bikers who regularly ate there. She gives a quick wink at a couple of them that she recognizes, and they laugh loudly at her. She grins, and keeps walking.

Her stiletto's click on the pavement and her skinny black jeans hug her curves comfortably as she walks. Her corset chaffs her side a little painfully, but she pays it no mind. Her purple, long sleeved blouse provides her enough warmth to block out the cold winds, though her neck freezes. She wishes she had a scarf, but alas, there are none to be had. She considers buying one from one of the small fashion shops that she walks by, but decides against it. She didn't really need it, and she didn't make very much that day. That and they probably made enough off the tourists.

Deciding on taking a short cut she uses often, Alice turns down a dark, damp alleyway. As she walks, she suddenly hears more feet on the pavement. Casting a quick glance behind her, she spots four men, one with a small knife, slowly following her. _"Crap."_ She thinks to herself, as she quickens her pace. She turns another corner, going the wrong way, hoping she knows these streets better than they do.

As she walks, she suddenly realizes there are two more guys at the end of the street, and when she glances behind her, there's now six following her. Taking a quick left, she sees three more at the end of that alley, coming towards her. Her eyes widening, she takes her eyes off the street and breaks into a run, heading around another corner. What she doesn't see is the open manhole in the street.

She falls. She falls for what feels like miles. Her shoes get knocked right off her feet, her pants tear, and her shirt gets torn. She tries to take hold of anything, as she notices that she's falling through dirt and tree roots, instead of pavement and sewer water. Anything she grabs doesn't hold, and she continues to fall. She collides with a bed, but her light weight bounces right off. Alice screams, afraid of whatever it is that awaits her at the bottom of this seemingly bottomless pit.

Finally, she collides with something that feels like stone. She lays there, stunned and in pain, thinking that death has taken her. Then a realization strikes her, _"I'm… breathing? But aren't I dead?"_ She opens her eyes, and looks around her. When she glances up, she sees her hair standing straight up in the air. Then she falls again, this time to the floor of the sewer, landing in nasty water. She hurts all over, but slowly stands. _"Where… where am I?"_

Alice spots a nearby ladder, leading up to another manhole. She grimaces, no longer trusting of them after what she just went through, but decides to take a chance. The ladder is old and creaks when she stands on it, the wood seemingly rather rotten. The manhole cover is heavy and made of some kind of steel, but she manages to move it after a few tries. She breathes in the fresh air as she climbs out slowly, pulling herself up. The smell of the sewer hits her then, and she almost throws up right there. She rolls over quickly, hoping to get away from the awful smell.

She stands up slowly, her bare feet cold on the cobbl-…_"Wait… COBBLESTONE?"_ Alice glances around quickly, and realizes that the entire street is made of laid cobblestones, and all the buildings are made of some kind of wood. She shakes as the cold wind hits her wet clothes, and it's then that she also realizes that it's raining, hard. Alice ducks into the nearest building, hoping to find some shelter. She glances around, and notices the smell of beer on the air. She huffs. _"Of course, its pouring rain out there, I'm afraid, soaking wet, and have no idea where I am, and where do I go first? A bar. Great."_

"Welcome to the Inn of the Prancing Pony, miss! I'm the owner of this fine establishment, Barliman Butterbur. What can I do for you, miss…?" He asks in a strange accent, foreign sounding in comparison to her own Creole accent. She also notices that he has to lean over the bar some to be able to look her in the eye, making her conscious, yet again, of her stout height of only 4'11".

"Alice. Alice Dawn." He interrupts her before she can ask him anything.

"Well, Miss Dawn, I've got a nice room upstairs that you can use for the night. Hey, if you don't mind me asking, where are you from?" She smiles warily.

"Not here. Sir, if you don't mind my asking… where am I?" He stares at her, shocked and confused. She hurriedly comes up with a quick lie, "I'm afraid that I just woke up outside, and I have no recollection of where I am or, even really from. I just remember my name, and that is all." She pretends to start to cry, knowing this would tug at a kind, older man's heart, and he shushes her softly.

"Hey, now, little miss, don't cry. You're in Bree, north of the Shire, and about a four day journey south of Rivendell, if that helps at all." _"Rivendell? The Shire? Why do those sound like something I've read out of a book?"_ She shook her head after a moment, unable to place the names. A thoughtful look crosses his face. "You were most likely robbed, if you were hit over the head so hard you don't remember nothin'. Tell you what, if you'll man the bar so I can deliver orders to the customers, you can spend the night here for free. How does that sound?" She grinned up at him, the tears vanishing. He returns the grin, before handing her a key, "Here, take this key, second floor, third door on your right. There's a dress and an extra apron in the closet. Change into those before you come back down. There might be some extra shoes in there for you, too." She nods, still grinning. She takes the key, and bounds off upstairs.

Entering the room, it's less than she expected. A small bed, a small closet, a small bedside table, with a small lamp on top of it, unlit, and all of it, minus the lamp, is entirely made of wood. She snorts, _"Lucky I don't have any kind of weird allegories, or else I might've been in trouble."_ She takes the guitar off her back, and places it gently on the bed. _"This place just keeps getting weirder. Why am I required to wear a dress? Is this town stuck in the Middle Ages or something?"_ Slipping the dress over her head, it's about three sizes too big; so, she pins it up in the back, figuring it's the best she's going to be able to do for now. The apron is also a bit big, like it was designed for a very fat woman, but she simply ties it tight behind her back.

As she descends the stairs, she notices a man in the back corner of the pub. He's dressed entirely in black, with some grays and greens thrown in the mix of his outfit, and a hood over his head. He's staring across the room, though at whom exactly, Alice can't tell. She decides to simply keep an eye on him from where she can see behind the counter.

She walks up almost stealthily behind Butterbur, and clears her throat. He turns around with a start, and sees her before him. He quickly shows her where all of the beers are and how to access them. He tells her to not let the costumers push her around before grabbing somebody's order and taking off. She observes the costumers. She doesn't press the matter when a young man, no, a boy asks her for a pint. She's already seen several that look sort of like him, so she assumes that maybe this bar serves beer to young people. Or maybe she's being stereotypical, and he's just short like she is.

Before she even knows what she's done, she's accepting money from the boy. She glances down, and notices that there is suddenly a huge cup, filled to the brim with beer, sitting in front of him. He looks down at it with greed in his eyes, and takes a few sips before turning to his neighbors and introduces himself. Pippin's his name, and the familiarity of it claws at her mind. _"Where do I _know_ him from?"_ She asks herself. It bothers her greatly, and without realizing what she's doing, she fills more and more orders. Finally, her mind snaps back into reality as he says something out loud that causes her heart to stop, why, she doesn't know.

"Baggins! Sure I know a Baggins. He's over there, Frodo Baggins. He's my second cousin, once removed on his mother's side, and my third cousin twice removed on his father's side, if you follow me." Her eyes follow his finger across the pub, and she sees another boy, this one so familiar to her it almost causes her pain, as he stands and runs across the bar to Pippin. He tries to stop him from speaking further, but slips on a man's boot and falls backward. Alice sees a glimpse of something gold before… he disappears into thin air.

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><p><strong>Review please! =D<strong>


	2. Chapter 1

**Next chapter!  
>Disclaimer: I own nothing, except Alice.<strong>

Grabbing a nearby butcher's knife that Butterbur had left out, Alice takes off up the stairs after the three short boys. The blonde has nothing; Pippin has some kind of table, and the third one with lit candlesticks. She doesn't know why she's following them, other than that she suspects that Mr. Frodo Baggins is about to be in a lot of trouble. The strange man in black had grabbed him and taken him up the stairs after he'd reappeared several minutes after he'd disappeared. She wasn't sure how, but even when Frodo had disappeared… it was like she could still see him. But in her mind.

Shrugging off the memory, she kicks the door open, and the blonde boy charges into the room ahead of her.

"Let him go!" He shouts angrily, "Or I'll have you, Longshanks!" She looks at him, bewildered. _"Weirdest insult I've ever heard."_ She sees the man in black _("What is this, some kind of movie? Is he secretly Will Smith?")_ sheath a long sword, and is glad for it, since she had no idea how to fight off such a weapon with a flimsy butcher's knife.  
>"You have a stout heart, little Hobbit, but that will not save you. You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo. They're coming." <em>"This is getting weirder and weirder."<em> Alice thinks to herself as she looks the strange man in the eye. He looks up at her, and gives a small bow. The others look at her curiously.  
>"Who are you?" Asks the blonde, and Pippin turns to tell him.<br>"She's the barmaid! She gave me my pint… Though I have no idea why she followed us up here." He looks up at her, his curious look coming back. 'Longshanks' quirks an eyebrow.  
>"What is your name, Miss?"<br>"Alice Dawntreader." She said, remembering that in old stories like this, sometimes people would have a type of nickname for a last name because of something they did. "I could ask the same of you."  
>"They call me Strider," the pain returns as does the familiarity, "I was told to keep my eyes open for a woman who would go by Dawntreader. You must be of some importance." He casts a wary eye over her dress, "Though of what kind escapes me. You know half the Hobbits, I assume, since you were at the bar." The two she doesn't know quickly supply their names as Sam and Merry. Again, pain courses through her brain, and for some reason, she feels very stupid for not already knowing their names.<p>

Strider instructs the Hobbits to get some sleep, and invites Alice to stay in his room as well. Part of her says that she won't be getting any sleep, since the four Hobbits took up the whole bed by themselves, and Strider was just sitting down in the only chair in the room. But part of her says that she needs to be here, but it was the same part that said before to go into this inn, and to follow the Hobbits up the stairs. She tries option C.

"I haven't finished working downstairs. I have an agreement with Butterbur to let me stay here for free. I'm supposed to be manning the bar right now." Strider looks up at her from underneath an eyebrow.  
>"You won't need the room if you stay here. I'll get an extra chair from downstairs for you." The part of her that says to stay is now screaming at her to do as he says that she can trust him. She realizes that when her decision making sways from that path, the headache she's been suffering from returns, and fearing that it may become greater that she can handle, she agrees. Strider leaves for a moment to go fetch her chair, and Alice goes to stand at the window. Merry gets a thoughtful look.<br>"Did you bring anything else with you, Miss?" She suddenly remembers.  
>"My guitar! I left in my room." Merry gets up from the bed.<br>"I'll go get it for you." Thanking him, Alice tells him where her room is from where they are, and what it looks like. He leaves to get it, and Frodo looks up at her suspiciously from where he sits on the edge of the bed.  
>"Where are you from, Miss Dawntreader?"<br>"And where did you get a name like 'Dawntreader'?" Pippin asks before Sam can stop him. She looks Frodo in the eye, hoping that her lying abilities are up to par.  
>"I don't remember. I only woke up in the last hour or so, and I only remember my name. I don't remember how I got it. And it's just Alice, Mr. Frodo." He seems to buy it, and none of them really seem to notice how foreign her accent sounds. She decides to make an effort to not use it, when at all possible. Merry comes back at that moment, guitar in hand.<br>"Will you play somethin' for us, Miss Dawntreader?" She smiles, taking it from him.  
>"It's Alice, and… sure, I guess." The Hobbits cheered a little, and she sat on the end of the bed, across from Frodo. She strums a few times, thinking. It's out of tune, so strumming on a G chord, she quickly corrects it.<p>

"_I took my love, and I took it down,_ _Climbed a mountain and I turned around_

_And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills__  
><em>_Well, the landslide brought me down_

_Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?__  
><em>_Can the child within my heart rise above?__  
><em>_Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?__  
><em>_Can I handle the seasons of my life?__  
><em>_Uh oh, uh oh  
><em>_  
><em>_Well, I've been afraid of changing__  
><em>_'Cause I've built my life around you__  
><em>_But time makes you bolder__  
><em>_Even children get older and I'm getting older too  
>Well"<em>

She pauses here, and does a small guitar solo, having to use her fingernails as she had forgotten to get her pick out of her pants pocket before changing into the dress._  
><em>_  
><em>_"Well, I've been afraid of changing__  
><em>_'Cause I've built my life around you__  
><em>_But time makes you bolder__  
><em>_Children get older and I'm getting older too__  
><em>_  
>Well, I'm getting older too<em>

_So, take this love, and take it down__  
><em>_Yeah, if you climb a mountain and turn around__  
><em>_And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills__  
><em>_Well, the landslide brought it down_

_And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills__  
><em>_Well, maybe  
>Well, maybe<br>Well, maybe  
>The landslide will bring you down."<em>

She hadn't dared to look up from her guitar the entire performance, afraid they wouldn't like it. But as she sings the last note, she looks up at the Hobbit's faces. They're all bearing small smiles, having enjoyed the song they'd never heard.

"That was beautiful." She hears a voice from behind her say, and she spins around quickly. She hadn't heard Strider come back in the room, so he surprised her when he spoke. She gives him a quick smile, before looking down at her hands.  
>"Thank you." She mutters softly.<br>"Did you write that?" Pippin asks her, also speaking quietly.  
>"No, I'm afraid not." She responds with a chuckle.<br>"Oh, well it was really good." He says, giving her a big grin and the other three quickly give their assent.

Strider takes control again, by asserting that the Hobbits need sleep. Alice slips her guitar over her head, leans it against a nearby wall, and takes her seat next to Strider. She realizes why it took him so long to get up here; he had to haul a large rocking chair up the stairs. When she glances back at the Hobbits, Sam, Merry, and Pippin are asleep, and Frodo has elected to stay awake, seeing as he "isn't tired".

Its hours before anyone talks again, aside from Alice awkwardly thanking Strider again for bringing up the chair. He waves her off, and stares out the window. At first, Alice thinks that he's avoiding her, but then she realizes that he's actually intentionally looking for something… or someone. She doesn't notice how he goes stiff before a loud, piercing, almost agonizing scream fills the air. The Hobbits sit straight up, all awakened by the sound. Alice grips the arm rests of her chair, scared stiff by the sound.

"What are they?" Frodo asks almost immediately, having watched them stab the beds in the Hobbit's room across the way with Strider. The formidable man looks across at Frodo, a strange look on his face. "They were once men." _"No man I know could make that kind of noise… at least, not on a whim."_ "Great kings of men. Then Sauron the Deceiver gave to them nine Rings of Power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without question. One by one falling into darkness." The pain returns, taking Alice by surprise as she had already forgotten about it. She finds herself suddenly finishing Strider's thought in her mind, fighting herself so she doesn't say it out loud. "Now they are slaves to his will. They are the Nazgûl, Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the Ring, drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting you." _"I am _so_ not getting any sleep tonight."_

_The next morning…_

Alice tries very hard to not complain as they walk across the back country. Her legs are already getting sore, unaccustomed to such walking. Sam notices her exhaustion, but doesn't say very much, focusing on leading Bill, the pony. "Where are you taking us?" Frodo asks after they've walked off the path for while. "Into the wild." Strider says, with a hint of passion. "How do we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf's?" Merry asks quietly, hoping to not be heard. "I think a servant of the Enemy would look fairer and feel fouler." Frodo responds, equally as quiet. "He's foul enough!" Merry responds. "But where is he leading us?" Sam asks, loud enough for the Hobbits and Alice to hear. "To Rivendell, Master Gamgee. To the House of Elrond." Sam looks up at Alice with a huge grin. "Did you hear that? Rivendell!" The pain is fiercer this time than any other, all of this is so familiar it's hurting her. She looks at Sam, hoping that maybe he'll explain what Rivendell is, and he finishes his sentence without further request. "We're going to see the Elves!" _"Oh, well that expl… wait, ELVES?"_

After a few more miles, and Alice's heading receding to a dull throb, the Hobbits stopped and started to pull out things to make food. Not really caring about what they were doing, Alice sits down on a patch of un-snowed-on grass to let her legs have a break. Strider turns, having noticed that the Hobbits had stopped.

"Gentlemen, we do not stop 'till nightfall." He says to them, having not yet noticed Alice.  
>"What about breakfast?" Pippin asks.<br>"We've already had it."  
>"We've had one, yes. What about second breakfast?" Strider walks away, and Alice covers her laughter with a hand.<br>"Don't think he knows about second breakfast Pip." Merry says, and Pippin looks worried.  
>"What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them doesn't he?" He asks in rapid fire.<br>"I wouldn't count on it." Merry catches a piece of fruit as it comes flying out of the air in the direction of his head. He hands it cheerfully to Pippin before clapping him on the back and walking away. Sam goes to put up the last few things he'd gotten out, when he notices that Alice has yet to move.  
>"Are you alright?" He asks her quietly, still a bit timid. She looks up at him with a small smile.<br>"I'm not used to walking cross country like this, I'm really tired. I've been trying hard to not complain, though, since I figured you guys were all used to it." Sam looks up at Bill thoughtfully, before taking a few things back down, and attaching them to his own pack.  
>"You can ride on Bill until you get your strength back." Alice opened her mouth to argue, but Sam cut her off, "Just until you think you can walk some more, and then you can go until you're exhausted again. It'll get your stamina up. In a few days, you won't need to ride on Bill anymore." She nods, knowing she can't win this argument, and climbs on top of the pony, glad for her new pants that Strider loaned her. A long pause follows this as Sam continues to guide Bill.<p>

"So…" Alice starts, trying to get the conversation going again, "Sam, what's the Shire like?"

Even though she only asked one of them, all four Hobbits began to tell her, rather ecstatically, about the Shire. From what little she understood, it was like the British Isles. What most people consider being 'the simple life'. They talk for hours, telling her all about their lives, their families, the drama they left behind, and what the Shire looks like. Eventually, Sam retrieves a map to help her keep up with what they're talking about. Alice gets the feeling that Strider would like them to be quiet and walk a bit faster, but he knows as well as she does that talking about the Shire is keeping the Hobbit's spirits up, so he doesn't say anything.

When they get to the marshlands with mosquitoes that eat them alive is when Alice decides it'd be easier on Bill to not have to worry about her while they cross over. She tries not to laugh when Merry asks about what the mosquitoes eat when they can't have Hobbit, and helps Pippin out when he falls into the mire. She would carry him on her back, except she's not that much bigger than he is, and is afraid he'd topple her.

They stop for the night inside the marshlands. Strider leaves for a while, and comes back with a dead deer to make rations. Alice tries not to breathe as he cuts up the beast, as the putrefying smell makes her want to barf.

The Hobbits go to sleep, but Alice stays awake, lying in the blanket they brought from the Inn. Her mind is flying through the possibilities of where she knows these strange people from. Why are their names so familiar? Where does she know them from? And why does she get a headache whenever something strikes her as familiar? She almost doesn't notice Strider's soft singing, but when she does, she quiets her thoughts to listen. The tune is sweet, but the words are foreign. She wishes she could reach her guitar, which is lying down near her feet. She decides to ask Strider about the song when they get to wherever they're going. Riverden, or something. She falls asleep listening to Strider's voice.

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><p><strong>Song: Landslide by Glee Cast.<br>**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. 'Cept Alice. Please don't steal her. =D**

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><p>Alice decides that the marsh was probably worse than the rocky country they're now crossing, but this sucks too. <em>"At least,"<em> Alice thinks, trying to find the bright side, _"we're not being eaten alive by mosquitoes anymore."_

Strider stops, and the rest of them stop too. Alice has gotten to where she can walk all day and not need to ride Bill, but she's still a lot more tired than the others. The Hobbits have all warmed up to her, except Frodo. He's still a bit wary, but she doesn't blame him. Why should he trust her? Though, according to what she overheard the Hobbits saying when they thought she was asleep, they don't think she's an enemy because even though she looks "fair", she doesn't feel "foul".

"This was the great watchtower of Amon Sûl. We shall rest here tonight."

The ascent wears on Alice harder than anything thus far. Sam notices that she almost collapses at one point, and insists that she ride on Bill. Too tired to argue, she climbs on top of the pony and almost fell asleep right there. The odd angle, though, keeps her awake.

When they reach the top, the Hobbits sling their baggage off their shoulders and sit down to rest. Alice slides off Bill's back, and goes to stand over by Strider, who's looking over the vast plains they just crossed. She chuckles mildly.

"If it were prettier country, this would be an amazing view." She sees a smile crack Strider's dirt crusted face, and grins.

He turns around, grabs her elbow, and pulls her over to the Hobbits. It's the first time he's directly done anything to her since that night at the Inn, and it startles her. He pulls out a bundle from his cloak, and opens it to reveal four short swords and a dagger. He hands one of the swords to each of the Hobbits, and then gives Alice the dagger.

"These are for you. Keep them close. I'm going to have a look around. Stay here."

_Later…_

Alice awakes from a pleasant dream where she sat at a table filled with tomatoes, bacon, and sausages all for her to eat, to find that part of her dream was real. She hears Frodo shout something at the other three, and realizing the same thing he has, stands up to toss her blanket on the fire to help put it out quickly.

"Put it out, you fools! Put it out!" Frodo cries as the two of them try to put the fire out.

"Oh, that's nice! Ash on my tomatoes!" Pippin says with disdain. Before Alice can get out a rude retort, a familiar scream pierces the night. Fear grips her heart as she scrambles to look over the edge along with the others. Her worst nightmare has come back; five wraiths come screeching towards Amon Sûl.

Frodo sees a staircase, "Go!"

They all run up the stairs, and make it to the old ruins before the wraiths catch up. They form a lose circle, trying to figure out which direction they will come at them from. Frodo's shoulder brushes Alice's as he suddenly backs up, and she hears a loud clanking noise. Turning, she sees the five coming towards them. They have their swords out, holding them in a manner reminiscent of the statues that surround them. She sees Sam, Merry, and Pippin suddenly jump in front of Frodo to defend him. _"Why are they defending him? What's special about Frodo?"_ Another headache, but the fear banishes it for the time being.

"Back, you devils!" Cries Sam.

He tries to fight off one of them, but he's quickly tossed aside. Merry and Pippin close the gap with fear in their eyes. They're tossed aside even faster than Sam was. Frodo drops his sword and falls back, tripping on a stone. Alice decides to follow their lead, and jumps between Frodo and the wraiths, dagger at the ready. The one in front makes as though to cut into her, but before she can even see what she's doing, Alice has deflected his blow. Her instincts take over her mind, and suddenly she loses all control of her body. She slips into a grey fog, and knows the world no more.

She awakens again with a splitting headache, and opening her eyes, realizes she's up against one of the statues. She hears a shout, and turning, sees Frodo lying on the ground with a Nazgûl sword in his shoulder. But it's, once more, in her mind that she can see Frodo, as her eyes only see the Nazgûl and its blade. She tries to stand, but her headache worsens, and she cannot move.

At that moment, Strider leaps out of the air from behind Frodo, brandishing a sword and a flaming torch. She sees, feels, senses, whatever, Frodo pull something, a ring probably, off his finger. He suddenly reappears and Sam goes to his side immediately. Strider sets the wraiths on fire, and they flee.

"STRIDER!" Sam calls, and Alice becomes distantly aware of the other two Hobbits surrounding Frodo as well. Strider goes to Frodo's side, "Help him, Strider!" He picks up the blade the wraith had been holding.

"He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade." With those words, the blade literally dissolves, and Strider drops the hilt like it's hot. "This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs Elvish medicine." He picks up the Hobbit like a sack of potatoes and slings him over his shoulder. Feeling the adrenaline starting to pump again, Alice wills herself to stand and run with the others. As they run through the woods, she can vaguely hear Sam yelling at Strider.

"It's six days from Rivendell. He'll never make it!"

"Gandalf…" Frodo whispers. A moment later, he shouts the name again.

_Later…_

Alice doesn't even know where she is anymore. She lays slumped against a large stone pillar, and she can hear Sam trying to talk to Frodo, something about trolls. She doesn't have the energy to even feel fear at the word 'trolls', and just hopes that she can get some sleep before they arrive. Remembering that she needs to practice her guitar before she can go to sleep, she calls out.

"Merry…" This comes out as a whisper, and she knows she must be louder to be heard, "Merry!" This catches his attention and he turns quickly, still afraid for Frodo.

"Yes, Alice?" She raises one hand and points vaguely at Bill, who's been carrying her guitar for her.

"Guitar… Get it for me, would you?" She asks, and Merry takes her strange speech to mean that she's tired. He quickly goes to fetch it for her, and when he starts to hand it to her, his eyes widen in shock.

"Strider! Get over here, quickly! It's Alice!"

Strider had been looking around to make sure they weren't followed when Merry calls for him, and he quickly leaves his post to see what the matter is. He notices immediately, and suddenly feels foolish for having been so wrapped up in Frodo to have not noticed Alice's injury.

She lies at the feet of one of the trolls, her lips a dark red and her face as white as snow. Her whole body shakes, but her hands, which she holds up loosely in the air, shake the worst. Her hair is matted, and darker than usual, as though she's been sweating some dark color. It's where the dark color reaches her cheeks from where her hair had been that it's quite plain what's gotten into her hair. Blood and lots of it. He gently makes her lean forward, and sees a deep gash on the back of her head that he knows must have hurt like nothing else when she got it. Pippin appears on Strider's other side as he investigates the wound.

"Do either of you know when she got this? Has she fallen at all on our way here?" Both Hobbits now feel ridiculous, as they now realize they'd been so focused on Frodo, they had not been paying attention at all. Suddenly, Merry remembers.

"It must have been at the watch tower, before Frodo got stabbed. She fought off one of those wraiths," he says the word with venom, "with that dagger you gave her. Quite well, might I add."

"Aye," Pippin adds, "I didn't know she had sword training." Strider looks down at Alice with a grimace.

"Looks like you are just full of surprises today, Miss Alice." He calls Sam over, "Sam, do you know Athelas plant?"

"Athelas?" Sam says.

"Kingsfoil?" Strider tries, turning and standing up.

"Kingsfoil – aye, it's a weed."

"It may help to slow Frodo's poison, and it will help to stop Alice's blood loss. Hurry!" He turns swiftly to Merry and Pippin, "One of you keep an eye on Frodo, and the other keep Alice awake. She must not be allowed to fall asleep, as she may never reawaken in this life again."

Alice doesn't hear a word of their conversation as she is too busy playing a song on her guitar. It's weak and slow, but it's keeping her mind occupied. Pippin sits to listen, and Merry goes to keep watch over Frodo. Pip, of course, doesn't recognize the song, but the tune is nice to listen to. He asks her what the song is, and she mumbles a response.

"What? What did you say?"

"_If I die young, bury me in satin__  
><em>_Lay me down on a, bed of roses__  
><em>_Sink me in the river, at dawn__  
><em>_Send me away with the words of a love song"_

Alice sings the tune very softly, and tears are brought to Pippin's eyes. She stops, and lays her head back.

"I think I'll lie down for a moment…" Worry fills him, and he grabs her shoulders to make her sit back up.

"No, don't do that, keep singing. I want to hear the rest of the song." She waves him off.

"Later, Pippin, later." He shakes her a little.

"If you don't, there won't be a later. Please, Alice, sing the rest of the song." She looks up at him wearily from underneath her eyes, and sighs after a moment.

"Very well."

"_Lord make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother__  
><em>_She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh and__  
><em>_Life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no__  
><em>_Ain't even grey, but she buries her baby_

_The sharp knife of a short life, well__  
><em>_I've had, just enough time_

If I die young, bury me in satin

___Lay me down on a, bed of roses__  
><em>_Sink me in the river, at dawn__  
><em>_Send me away with the words of a love song"_

It is at that moment that Strider and a woman return to their small camp. The woman immediately tends to Frodo, and Strider comes over to Alice chewing on something. He spits it into his hand, and then applies it to her head. She mumbles something about getting saliva in her brain. He leaves her in Pippin's care and goes to put the Athelas in Frodo's wound.

She stays awake, and watches the woman as she takes care of Frodo, putting him on the horse. Her mind is slowly shutting down, and she can't hear anything. She can barely keep her eyes open, but she tries to say something as she sees the woman get on the horse and take off. She doesn't even know what she wanted to say, she just knows she doesn't want her to leave. But she doesn't know why she wants her to stay.

Strider walks up to Alice with a rag she never saw him pick up, and starts to clean up her neck. He holds a water container, and cleans all the blood off her head, in her hair, and down her back. The water is cold, but she can't feel it running across her skin. When he finishes cleaning, he pulls a roll of thread and a needle from a pocket, and though Alice looks at him confused, he gently pulls her head down. He starts carefully threading her gash, closing it up with stitches. Finally, after a few minutes, he finishes them up, and lets her sit up straight.

"Go to sleep, Alice. You'll feel better in the morning." She's asleep before her body hits the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>Song: "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry<strong>

**Review please! =D**


	4. Chapter 3

**Sorry, was busy today. But here's the update! Oh, and first person to figure out the significance of the people Alice mention's names wins cookies! =D**

**Disclaimer: This author owns nothing but the character Alice and the other characters she mentions.**

Alice slowly wakes to the sound of birds chirping and water falling. _"Wha-… where am I? What happened?"_ The last few weeks seem like just a dream in her mind, but somehow, she knows that their real. How else could she explain the most AMAZING BED SHE'S EVER SLEPT ON IN HER LIFE? She sighs with content, a small grin spreading on her face. A thought hits her. _"Where's Frodo?"_ Even though she doesn't know why, she knows he's important.

Her eyes shoot open, and they search the room quickly. An old man who seems familiar in the same way Frodo was familiar when she met him sits at her bedside. Her eyes spot the dagger Strider had given her on the bedside table, and her arm snaps for it like a coiled snake. She snatches it up, and holds it in front of her like she knows what she's doing with it. He holds up a hand and chuckles at her.

"Whoa there, young one. I did not mean to frighten you." Though she can tell he's trying to sooth her, her guard stays up.

"What happened to me? Where's Frodo?" His eyebrows rise in some surprise.

"I am curious as to why you have asked about young Frodo, but I will answer your questions before asking any of my own. You fell unconscious while Strider carried you here, to Rivendell. Upon your arrival, your wound was better treated. Your stitches have since been removed." Her free hand snakes up to her scalp, and she feels where the gash has been healing, "You will have a scar there, but you needn't worry, your hair will grow, in time, to cover it. You will only know it's there if you intentionally feel for it." She nods slowly. "Frodo is in the next room, recuperating himself. He awoke only this morning. His wound would have been more serious than yours if it had not been for how much blood you lost and how deep the cut was. Tell me, how did you fight off the wraiths?" Alice's mind searches for an answer, but coming up short, she searches for a lie. Not being able to come up with a reasonable explanation, her eyes fall to the bed.

"I… I do not know." Her hand holding up the dagger drops down to her side.

"Do you know why you are here?" He asks.

"No."

"Do you know where you hail from?"

"No." She answers again, just as easily as she did when she told the truth.

"Let's try that one again. Do you know where you hail from?" _"Does he kno-? No, he couldn't possibly know."_

"No." She responds, this time with more force. He stops, and then chuckles.

"Then, would you mind telling me where New Orleans, Louisiana is?" Her head snaps up, and she looks at him with wide, shocked eyes. He chuckles once more, "Ah, so you do remember your home." Her hand snaps back up into the air, holding the dagger at ready.

"How do you know about Louisiana?" She gives him a glare that would make The Bride proud.

"I know all about you, Alice." She starts at the sound of her name coming out from between his lips, but she doesn't show it, "I know where you're from, I know in what place you were raised, and I know what you did for a living. I know about your mother, as well. I know that you had to lie to the Hobbits to get them to trust you, but now that you are here, safe, and have proven your trustworthiness on Amon Sûl, I will ask them to meet here with you in the morning so that you may tell them the truth." He stands, and another man comes in, this one bald in the front with long, thin braids of brown hair running down to his hips. "This, Miss Alice, is Lord Elrond, the keeper of this House." She smirks a bit.

"A house, but not a home?" Lord Elrond smiles.

"It is also known as The Last Homely House, if that brings you some comfort, and I consider it my home. How are you feeling?" She nods.

"Better, much better. Still very tired, though." He chuckles.

"I am not surprised; your home was not designed with walking cross country in mind." She smiles, and shakes her head.

"No, I'm afraid not. Wish I had done more, though, so I would have been better prepared for my journey here." Both men chuckle, but say nothing. "So, where am I, exactly?"

"You are in my house. It is 6 o'clock in the evening, on October the twenty-fourth, if you want to know." Lord Elrond responds, pausing before speaking again, "You seem to have made good friends with the Hobbits. Even Frodo has been asking about you, in his weak condition." She looks up at Elrond curiously.

"How does he remember anything from Amon Sûl? Well, at least that I did. I woke up when he was being stabbed by that… thing."

"According to the Hobbits," Gandalf starts, "You seemed to become possessed by the spirit of a great warrior, because you suddenly where able to keep the Nazgûl, the thing you referred to a moment earlier, at bay for several minutes. Do you remember?" Alice thinks, and then slowly shakes her head.

"All I can remember was Sam, then Merry and Pippin, getting thrown away… I… I realized Frodo must be pretty important if everyone was defending him like that, so… I jumped in. I tried to keep the Nazgûl away… everything goes grey after that. I just remember waking up, lying against a pillar with a splitting headache, and hearing Frodo yell like he was in pain. Which, as I found out a moment later, he was." Alice sighs heavily. "I honestly wish I could tell you what happened… but I can't." The two men share a look, and Alice knows they're having some kind of a silent conversation.

"Alice…" Gandalf starts again, leaving a long pause as he tries to fight off Lord Elrond's large glare, "Frodo himself isn't as important as the thing he carries."

"You should not speak of this!" Lord Elrond interrupts; his voice almost a hiss.

"She deserves to know! It is because of Frodo that she was almost killed in a most horrific manner! Besides, if she has not yet figured it out, she soon will! You know this!" Lord Elrond grunts, but mutters a soft apology and waves his hand for Gandalf to go on. Alice, though, hasn't been listening. She's been thinking.

"The One." She suddenly says, and Lord Elrond and Gandalf snap their attentions to her.

"What?" Gandalf asks quietly, after a tense moment.

"The Ring. The One." She says carefully, still thinking. She looks directly at Gandalf. "Frodo was carrying a ring of power, wasn't he?" Both men stare openly, shocked. They finally share a glance after another long moment.

"Yes," Gandalf answers, also careful. "How did you know?" She covers her left eye with her hand, rubbing her face.

"It was obvious, actually, now that I've figured it out." She keeps her eyes shut, not looking at either of them. "All the little things. At Bree, when Frodo fell, I saw a glimmer of gold falling from the sky that he seemed to be reaching for when he suddenly disappeared. Then when we were in Strider's room, when he was telling us about the Ringwraiths, not that their names alone didn't actually make it very obvious, but still, the only thing I really thought about was when he told us that they would never stop hunting us, because I was so freaked out by that I knew there was no way I was going to be getting any sleep. I was right, of course. But now that I look back… 'They are the Nazgûl, Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the Ring, drawn to the power of the One.' Those were his words." Suddenly, Alice chuckles. "He gave away the whole game without even realizing it." Their stares of shock turn into stares of slight wonder. Gandalf sends Elrond an 'I-so-told-you-so' look that Alice does not fail to catch, and tries very, very hard to not laugh at… out loud.

"You are very observant." Gandalf says after he turns back to look at her.

"Yes, I am surprised you managed to catch onto everything so quickly." Alice shrugs in response to Lord Elrond's statement.

"I would've caught on sooner if it hadn't been for the fact that I was scared out of my wits… oh, and all the travelling… and Strider's apparent everyone-stay-quiet-at-all-times policy." Both men smile broadly. "So who's this Enemy that everyone's seemingly afraid of?" At their returned looks of shock, she quickly explains, "Well, I think I have a bit of a right to know, since the Hobbits were accusing me of working for 'the Enemy' while we were travelling. They only decided to trust me because I didn't 'feel foul'." She says, using quotation marks with her fingers.

By the time they get done explaining the great and evil Sauron, she's exhausted, frightened, and reminded vaguely of Cthulu. Not that, of course, she mentions this to Gandalf or Elrond, seeing as they don't know anything about Lovecraftian horror. She has more questions to ask, but before she can, Gandalf makes the strangest comment to her.

"I think it's about time we reminded you about who we are." _"Wait… what?"_ "Do you remember a famous story from your world titled 'The Hobbit'? You had to read it when you were a young girl for your education."

Memories flood Alice's mind. Junior High, 7th grade. Her English teacher, Miss Ascot, had them read a short novel every month. Most of them were classics. They had to write a one page response to every book. 'The Hobbit', however, was Alice's least favorite. She liked stories based more in reality than in fiction. Something modern, or even science fiction (they had to read 'Ender's Game' when Alice was in her junior year of High School, which she enjoyed a lot more than 'The Hobbit'). She only really remembers the vague details of the story, no character names. She tries to recall why the Dwarves went to the Hobbit's home to recruit him in the first place when it hits her. _"A wizard… a wizard told them he was a famous burglar… OH. MY. GOD."_

The whole world goes grey when Alice's head hits the wall behind her bed as she faints.

_The next morning…_

Alice awakes again; this time sure that everything she's been experiencing has been nothing but a dream. She's going to open her eyes, and be back home, in bed, with probably a naked man lying next to her…. So why can't she smell any liquor or cigarette smoke?

"_Oh…__damnit."_ She sighs, and opens her eyes. Seeing nothing but a beautifully ornate white ceiling, she runs a hand through her hair. _"I'm in a storybook. A STORYBOOK. What is this, some kind of fan fiction or something? My god, what am I supposed to do now? This certainly isn't 'The Hobbit', I would've started in the Shire with Bilbo. I'm stuck, instead, with Frodo… Baggins. Frodo Baggins. They're related. Frodo. Frodo."_ Another realization hits her while she lies there, pondering the name Frodo and why it's familiar. _"I SAW THIS IN A MOVIE!"_ She abruptly slaps herself in the face. _"Of course! Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler, and Hugo Weaving! That friend of mine in high school… oh, what was her name… Mirana Blanc, that was it, she was obsessed with that movie. Damnit, what was it called?"_ Alice lays there for several minutes, thinking. She only saw it twice, it was very long and according to Mirana, was like a sequel to 'The Hobbit', and the main character, which she only remembers was played by Elijah Wood, was like a relative of Bilbo's.

A soft knock on the door startles Alice. She calls for the person to come in, and its Merry standing shyly behind her door.

"I'm decent, Merry, you can come in if you like." She says with a small laugh, and he comes in slowly.

"I brought you something that I'm sure you're missing, Alice." He says, and in steps Strider, holding Alice's guitar. Her jaw drops.

"Oh my god, thank you so much, Merry! You too, Strider." She says, almost unable to contain her happiness, and both men smile.

"I kept it safe for you, so it'd be in good condition when you woke up." Merry responds and Strider almost seems to glide to her. Not that she's actually paying attention to his movements, seeing as she's staring at her instrument.

She holds, tunes, and plays it gently, not even noticing several more presences entering the room until one of them is gently laid on the bed next to her. Startled, her attention snaps away from her guitar and onto the form of a more-healthy-looking-than-the-last-time-she-saw-him Frodo. Two Elves have just laid him on the bed so that he can rest and talk to her at the same time, as they're both technically supposed to be spending a few days recuperating. He chuckles at her startled expression.

"Well, hello to you too, Alice!" He says with a smile, which she returns. She glances around the room, and sees Pippin, Sam, Gandalf, and Lord Elrond have come in as well.

"What, are we having a party and someone forgot to tell me?" This earns several chuckles, and then she remembers. "Oh yeah, Lord Elrond mentioned yesterday you guys were gonna be here in the morning. I guess I forgot." Gandalf looks amused from where he sits at her bedside.

"I'm not surprised; you hit your head pretty hard." She closes her eyes in pain as the splitting headache she'd been fighting off while trying to remember everything she knew about Frodo returns violently, but she smiles anyway and rubs the back of her head where she had hurt herself the night before.

"Yes, well, that was a pretty big surprise you gave me." The two older men give her a small smile before Lord Elrond gestures to the others.

"I believe you have some explaining to do." The four Hobbits look at her curiously, but Strider's face remains passive. Alice sighs.

"Yeah, uhm…" She clears her throat. "Well, might as well just say it. I lied." Their looks of curiosity intensify. Only Strider speaks.

"About what, exactly?"

"Since I really only ever talked about one thing to you guys, I guess you could say, everything. I can actually remember more than my name. I can remember everything about my past. The only thing I can't remember was my own birth, a few years after that, and what happened when that Ringwraith tried to attack me on Amon Sûl." Sam's look immediately turns to a look of suspicion.

"So then who are you really?" She looks at Gandalf, and he nods encouragingly.

"Well, my name is really Alice, I didn't lie about that. But it's Alice Dawn. Not Dawntreader. 'Dawntreader' was the name of a ship from a famous story, where I'm from."

"But, where are you from, Alice?" Frodo asks quietly, looking up at her with an expression she really couldn't describe if she wanted to.

"New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America, North American continent, Earth." It's the last word that really takes them by surprise. "Where I come from… there are no Elves, or Dwarves, or Hobbits. There's just the race of Men, or 'humans' as we call ourselves, and plants and animals. Magic is either just a trick or a lie, both to make money. In my country, there are over 100 million people alone, and over 6 billion people on the planet. All of the empty spaces on the map have been filled out. Being adventurous is looked down on because it's considered dangerous. Glory and honor are completely unimportant, along with being kind to those around you. My world is centered entirely on self pleasure, even at the expense of those around you. It's very ugly.

I was raised in what we call a 'cabaret', which is a place where women are paid to sing and dance. But it's just a front for what's really going on behind the curtains. Really, the entire place is a whorehouse, or a 'brothel', as I prefer to call it. It was called the Moulin Rouge, which means 'Red Mill', named after the original Moulin Rouge that was in another country, and had a large red mill on the front of it. Where I come from, there's a public school system that all kids have to go to, by law, to be taught the same thing. When I was a little girl, I would go to school during the day, and when I got home, I was told to go upstairs so I wouldn't see the show. Then I had to spend the night with whoever hadn't been bought out for the night, and it wasn't always my own mother. When I was fourteen, I was taken on as a maid so I could have some money. When I was sixteen, I was hired as one of the girls. Because of my short height, and my very young face, I looked like I was thirteen, fifteen at the most. You can imagine who some of my first costumers were. It wasn't until I turned 20 that I finally lost some of my childlike looks, though I am still short, so I stopped bringing in those kinds of men, and started being sold to normal ones.

When I was eight, however, I made friends with a girl who knew how to play guitar, and she started teaching me after school. She had been learning for years and was very good. I couldn't afford lessons, so she taught me in exchange for being her friend. Her older brother heard me singing one of the songs once, and since he was taking some singing lessons for the fun of it, he started teaching me how to sing, too."

Alice sighs heavily, exhausted from having told her entire story as quickly as possible. She spent most of the time staring at her hands, too ashamed to really look in their eyes. She remembers something.

"Oh, and this is all just a story, a fable someone invented and wrote down a really long time ago. And before you ask, no, I don't know your future. A, by me being here alone has changed history, and b, I only heard the first part. I don't know how it ends."

**Lyane de Rivesen - Thank you so much for your comments! I understand what you mean by how many OC's are normally not very deep. I'm always afraid that my characters are too shallow, so I'm glad someone appreciates her depth. =D**

**Also, sorry about the large amounts of dialogue in this, next chapter will be about the Council of Elrond, since I need to get back on track with the movie/book.**

**Review please! =D**


	5. Chapter 4

**I am aware that I said that I would write about Elrond's Council in this chapter... however, this was starting to get long, so I decided it might be best to simply have one chapter dedicated to that very important meeting instead of it tailing on the end of all this... stuff. Sorry if I disappointed anyone!**

**Disclaimer: This author owns no people, places, or things aside from Alice.**

Alice sits in Lord Elrond's study, pouring over the maps, trying to memorize the landscapes as she sits at his desk. Gandalf sits across from her, smoking a pipe, and occasionally pointing out something significant or telling her where ancient battles took place. Elrond himself stands at a nearby window, looking out over a courtyard. She can vaguely hear Sam and Frodo talking, though she can't quite make out the words. Frodo still goes to bed early and sleeps in late, but they're both well enough to get around without any aid.

"His strength returns." Elrond comments quietly. Whatever conversation the two men are about to have, Alice gets the feeling is supposed to stay in the study. Feeling like it isn't her place to hear this, she quietly puts her maps away.

"That wound will never fully heal. He will carry it the rest of his life." Gandalf now stands at Elrond's side, also overlooking the courtyard.

Alice stands and silently slips away into the small library that resides within Lord Elrond's study. She is curious about Strider or Aragorn as she has recently learned is his proper name, and why he is "Isildur's heir". Also, she learned this morning that a man from a country called "Gondor" (anyone else reminded vaguely of a large bird?) is arriving today, so she figures it might be a good idea to learn just some general history about that country since the last great war.

The oddest thing about Lord Elrond's study is that all of his books are either written in Old English or Old French, both of which she can read rather well. She was the only girl in her class that took four years of French in high school, for which she has been rather grateful for. Most of the people in New Orleans, and in Rivendell, seem to speak French better than English.

She spots a book that says 'Gondor' on it in English up on the very top shelf where she can't reach. She looks around, and spots some new, sturdy books on the shelf behind her. Grabbing five or six, she stacks them on top of each other, climbs on top, and reaches for the book. What she forgot to do was straighten the books so that all of the weight went in one direction. Instead, they're all loosely stacked, and so are very likely to topple…. Which, of course, they do. Gandalf and Lord Elrond come around the corner, hearing her hit the floor and her loud groan of pain.

"Are you alright?" Lord Elrond says as he helps her stand. She hisses as pain sears across her back.

"Yeah, fine. I just fell, that's all."

"What were you doing, child?" Gandalf asks, curious. She mildly laughs at herself.

"I was trying to reach a book up there," she points up to the top of the shelf, "and I didn't want to ask for help since you two seemed to be having a private conversation. I'm too short to reach it, though, so I thought I could try stacking some books to see if that might give me enough of a boost to reach it." Gandalf laughs raucously, and Elrond just shakes his head at her as she stands slowly.

"What book were you reaching for?" The Half-Elf asks.

"I was hoping you might have a book on the general history of Gondor, since someone's apparently coming from that country today." Elrond shifts his gaze up to the top of the shelf, and sees the book that she was reaching for.

"That book is actually on their written language, so it wouldn't have done you much good anyway. Come, I was about to recount a story for Gandalf, and it has to do a bit with what you are asking." He leads her through the house as Gandalf follows. The house, Alice notices for the umpteenth time, is absolutely beautiful. Wooden paneling and ancient statues and artifacts seem to line every wall. "I was there three thousand years ago, when Isildur took the Ring. I was there the day the strength of Men failed. It should've ended that day, but evil was allowed to endure. Isildur kept the Ring. The line of kings is broken. There is no strength left in the world of Men. They're scattered, divided, leaderless." Questions brew in Alice's mind.

"There is one who could unite them, one who could reclaim the throne of Gondor." Gandalf says before Alice gets a chance.

"He turned from that path long ago. He has chosen exile." Gandalf and Elrond seem to have another silent conversation, and Alice waits patiently for them to finish. It ends when Gandalf looks down at Alice's small frame with a grim smile.

"Come, Alice, I'm certain you have questions for me, and I you. We should get your back looked at while we're at it."

Elrond takes his left hand from off her left shoulder where it has stayed since they left the study, and Gandalf puts his left hand on her right shoulder to turn her and lead her down a long hall. They walk in silence for several minutes. Alice thinks quietly to herself about what happened last week when she told the Hobbits about her past.

Merry and Pippin absorbed it, and then shrugged it off for the most part. Their carefree attitude would not allow them to be weighed down by her story. Sam stared at her in open shock, unable to believe what he was hearing. Frodo, however… Frodo looked at her with a mixture of things. Pity and shock seemed to be the most predominate. There was a hint of anger behind his eyes, though what he was angry at, she couldn't tell. She prayed it wasn't her. When she glanced up at Strider, his passive look was like stone, not even the tides of her story could force it to move. It did, however, have a small crack in it. She could tell he was uncomfortable with what she had said, since he kept shifting his weight from what foot to the other. Elrond and Gandalf were not perturbed, as they already knew her past. How, she was uncertain, but know they did. Elrond had approached her bedside when she looked at him, and put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Know that while you are here, you will never" he said the word with a hint of fierceness, "have to sell yourself for money." He gave her a smile that was unlike any other she had ever received in her life. It was genuine, and gave her more comfort than all the words in the world could.

Gandalf asks her if she is ready to ask her questions, and she says she is. She asks about Isildur, and how was he related to Stri-… Aragorn, and what did he have to do with Gondor. Gandalf tells her about the war that Elrond and Isildur fought in together, about the line of kings, about the Rangers, about the Dúnedain and the Númenóreans, and about Aragorn. She asks how is Gondor leaderless; someone has to be leading the country, since it is a monarchy. He tells her about the Stewards, about Denethor, and about Boromir since he is here in Rivendell. She looks up at Gandalf.

"So he has arrived?" Gandalf nods, to which she responds with her own nod, "I think that will suffice for now, go ahead and ask your questions."

"Have you been having anymore of your headaches lately?" She thinks before slowly shaking her head.

"No, I don't think so. The headaches only came when something was really familiar, but that was before you reminded me about 'The Hobbit'." He smiles and nods.

"Good, very good. It is not yet my place to tell you why you are here in Arda, but I am happy to have you here, nonetheless." She returns Gandalf's smile. "I just wish I knew more of your future. Your destiny is not set in stone, like so many others are. Yours will be based largely on your choices." He stops, and looks up at a sign posted above the door next to them. "Oh, look, here we are at the medical ward. Go in and tell them in the language I believe you call 'French' about your back. They will put some ointment on it to make it feel better." She turns to look inside the room, a little bit wary, but when she turns to say something more to Gandalf, she realizes he's gone. She sighs. _"Wonderful."_

_Later…_

Alice leaves the ward, an ointment having been placed on her back by the French speaking Elves, and she feels better than ever. She wanders down a few halls, seeing passing Elves every few feet. It is mid afternoon, and Alice's thin dress sways gently in the warm air. Its color is the only significant thing about it, being very plain in make. Not that she really needs anything fancy and deep blue is one of her favorite colors. Her shoes are more reminiscent of ballet slippers, and barely make a sound on the marble floors.

She twirls a couple of times, admiring the way her dress flays out gently, when she runs face-first into someone. The man seems to snatch her out of the air as she tumbles backwards, and saves a trip to the medicine ward. She looks up at her savior, and sees another Elf. He's different than the others. All of the Elves here have brown hair and brown eyes like Lord Elrond. He has blue eyes and blonde hair, and is an image of perfection. He's clad in browns and greens… and is laughing at Alice.

"You ought to be more careful, young one, wouldn't want to see you get hurt." She realizes that to grab her, he's holding her wrists in his hands. She quickly yanks them away.

"'Young one'? I'm 23, I'll have you know. And I'm old for my age." She says in a haughty way that is very much unlike her. She can't help it though, he's hot, he caught her off guard, he's hot, he caught her doing something she never does, which would be twirling in a dress, and most importantly, he's HOT. She blushes furiously as she walks away, and a hand grabs her wrist again, stopping her from going further.

"I am sorry, milady, for the offense." She turns and looks at the odd Elf again. She looks him over once, before looking back up into his eyes. She does not fail in noticing the red tint of his ears.

"I will accept your apology on the condition that you tell me your name." _"Wow, way to go, Alice. Majorly flirting with an Elf you've never met."_ He grins as though oblivious to her flirting.

"Legolas Greenleaf, son of King Thranduil of Mirkwood." He takes her hand, and gently kisses her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers. When he pulls away, she can see the smirk on his face. She remembers Legolas from the movie; he was played by Orlando Bloom. _"Sorry Orlando, you're hot, but you have _not_ done Legolas justice."_ "If I may ask, milady, but what is your name?" She smiles coyly.

"That is for me to know, and you to find out." She turns and briskly walks away.

Oh how does she regret walking away from Legolas, now that she's utterly lost. She looks around, trying to spot even one familiar face. Every hallway seems deserted, though. _"__Damnit, where is everyone?"_ She thinks to herself as she rounds another corner. It's getting to be evening now, and she's hungry. She's sees an unfamiliar statue, and approaches it. It's a woman with a hooded cloak, and she's holding up her hands to hold out a large stone plate. On the plate is a soft looking blanket and a sword. The weird thing about the sword is that it's broken into pieces. Part of her wants to pick up the sword, but she's afraid that it's so old it may break when she touches it, so she leaves it lying there, undisturbed.

"That is Narsil," Alice gasps and turns around, only to discover Aragorn standing behind her. He looks at her with a faint smile, "It is the blade that cut the Ring from Sauron's hand." He takes one of her hands and leads her gently away from the sword, "It's still sharp, and I would suggest keeping a distance." He looks at her curiously, "Where have you been all day?" Relaxing in the presence of a friend, she finally speaks.

"I spent the morning in the presence of Gandalf and Lord Elrond, studying." He looks surprised.

"Many would pay with their own life for such an opportunity, even some kings." He smiles, "But that was just this morning. What of the afternoon?" She shrugs.

"I hurt myself while I was with them, so Gandalf took me to get an ointment put on my back," at his look of curiosity, she rolls her eyes, "I wanted a book that was too high, and they were talking so I didn't want to interrupt… I stacked some books, climbed on top, lost my balance, and fell off the books, okay?" He chuckles, but says nothing as she huffs.

"Legolas tells me he met a fair yet strange woman today who would not give him her name. Her description matches yours, which is why I came to find you." He looks at her slyly, "But surely you are not the type of woman to flirt shamelessly with the son's of kings?" She blushes under his gaze.

"Maybe, maybe not. He didn't even tell me who he was until just before I left." Aragorn laughs loudly at her blush, and stifles it to chuckles as she talks. "Oh, shut up." She tells him, and then goes to leave.

"Are you hungry?" He calls after he stops laughing. She stops mid-stride.

"Yes." She says without turning around.

"You're going the wrong way."

_After dinner…_

Alice sits in what Gandalf tells her is 'The Fire Room'. Lord Elrond walks in with Frodo, and leads him to a corner. He greets someone he knows, though Alice cannot see who it is from where she sits across the room. She sees Legolas, sitting with some other Elves, across from her in a different direction. He doesn't see her, and she hides her blush by looking at the floor. _"I still can't believe I did that."_

Aragorn enters moments later, and goes to Frodo. He seems to say something to his companion, and then the two of them leave Frodo by himself. She feels bad, but then also feels a hand on her shoulder. Gandalf is smiling down at her, but shakes his head 'no', and whispers in her ear that for the time being, it would be best if Frodo had some time to himself. She gives him a look of concern, and looks over at the Hobbit again, but in the end, nods her head, trusting Gandalf's wisdom.

An Elf finishes up a lovely song in French about the beauty of ancient hills and valleys, and everyone applauds. Lord Elrond stands slowly.

"Thank you very much, Glorfindel. I would like to ask our young friend, Miss Alice, to delight us with a song from her realm." She had been laughing at something Gandalf had whispered to her when she heard her name. Her attention snaps up to Lord Elrond, horror in her gaze. She gulps.

"I-I appreciate the offer, Lord Elrond, but I'm afraid I'm not used to singing without the accompaniment of my guitar." She breathes a mental sigh of relief, _"That was close."_ Something brushes against her shoulder.

"Here ya go, Alice!" Two voices chirp happily, and she looks to see Merry and Pippin are now seated beside her, holding out her guitar to her. She stares, the horror returning. She hears everyone in the room laugh at her expression.

"It would seem that you have sealed your own fate, Alice." Frodo calls from across the room, and she sends him a mild glare, taking the guitar. She glances up, and sees Legolas staring at her with an odd expression. "_Damnit, well there went that idea."_ She hoped it would take him longer, but with everyone saying her name, she knows he probably has it figured out. She fingers the guitar for a minute, correcting a few out-of-tune strings. Finally thinking of a lovely song to fit the moment, she starts playing.

"_Ooooo oooooo oooooo...___

_Somewhere over the rainbow__  
><em>_Way up high__  
><em>_There's a land that I dreamed of__  
><em>_Once in a lullaby...___

_Somewhere over the rainbow__  
><em>_Skies are blue__  
><em>_And the dreams that you dare to dream__  
><em>_Really do come true...__ Oooooo…"_

She pauses for a short guitar solo, and she notices a few other instruments have joined her.__

_"Oh, Someday I'll wish upon a star__  
><em>_And wake up where the clouds are__  
><em>_Far behind me...__  
><em>_Where troubles melt like lemon drops__  
><em>_High above the chimney tops__  
><em>_That's where you'll find me...___

_Oh, somewhere over the rainbow__  
><em>_Bluebirds fly__  
><em>_Birds fly over the rainbow__  
><em>_Why, then, oh, why can't I...?"_

There's a moment where the whole room is silent, and then Lord Elrond begins to applaud. Quickly, the whole room follows suit. She blushes furiously from the attention. Another Elf stands and begins to sing, but she does not listen as Gandalf has nudged her.

"Do you see that man standing over there, in the corner, alone?" She sees him. He's in the direct opposite corner from where she sits, and is smoking a pipe. She nods. "That is Boromir, the one I told you about." He gives her a knowing smile, "I heard you met a prince-ling today." The blush returns, and Gandalf laughs. "I do not blame your behavior, many young women are quite taken with Legolas, though rarely does he ever return the favor." He says the last part thoughtfully.

"Oh, Gandalf," Alice says with an eye roll, "Don't get my hopes up." They spend the rest of the night listening to the music, Gandalf occasionally pointing out an important figure in their midst and giving her a short education about them.

_The next morning…_

Alice hears a soft knocking on her door. She's completely and utterly exhausted, having stayed up much too late to be awoken before dawn. An Elf woman enters, one that is familiar to Alice, though she can't figure out why.

"I apologize for waking you so early, and even more for having not introduced myself sooner. I am Arwen, daughter of Elrond. My father is holding a council of war today, and he wishes for you to be in attendance as he feels you may learn much. He requests that you hide your identity for the time being, however, and do not speak. He knows that many of the council members will be offended by a woman being present, and does not wish for you to suffer from their harassment, as he knows it's not something you're accustomed to." Alice heavily rolls her eyes.

"Very well, I will adhere to his request. I'm guessing you're also here to get me up since the meeting's probably at dawn. Am I wrong?" Arwen shakes her head, and Alice sighs. "Well, it's a pleasure getting to meet you, Arwen. My name is Alice." Arwen smiles.

The Elf helps her get ready. She asks one of the maids to draw a bath, and the two of them spend the time picking out her outfit. They choose a dark brown tunic and very dark green trousers with brown boots. A black belt ties around her waist that not only holds up her trousers (as they're about one size too big), but has a scabbard for her new dagger, that Elrond presented to her as a gift for aiding Frodo, to go in. Over all of this will go a cloak similar to the one that Aragorn wore when she met him. It's black with a hood to hide her face.

The maid announces that the bath has been drawn, and Arwen leaves to let her bathe and get ready. The maids help her undress, and climb into the tub. They carefully wash out her hair, and she washes her body clean. She normally is more than happy to lie still and let them do it, but she doesn't know how long she has until the council starts, so she's trying to be faster than usual. It took her a while to get used to the idea of other people bathing her, but she actually realized it was very nice, and grew accustomed. Besides, in New Orleans, if she had been seen naked by anyone she knew, she knows she would have received very judgmental stares. These maids are so used to seeing women naked; they give her kind smiles instead of the judgmental stares.

She gets out and dries off. When she goes back into her room with a towel hanging loosely on her, Arwen has re-entered the room, and aids her in getting dressed. She appreciates it sincerely. Figuring out how to put the dresses on was easy. The tunic and trousers? Those give her some more trouble. Arwen, however, seems to have no trouble at all, and patiently helps her get on everything. By the time they finish, she is an image of… well, nothing. She looks like she could just step into a shadow and disappear entirely. Arwen tells her that even with her Elvish eyesight, she can't discern Alice's identity. This causes her to smirk.

"Perfect."

**Yay! Another chapter completed!**

**Lyane de Rivesen - First things first, your syntax is better than some people I know who's first language is English, so please don't concern yourself with that. Gandalf and Elrond are aware of some things that Alice is going to have to find out for herself. I addressed her headaches here. In (probably) the chapter after this next one, I'm going to address her fighting skills some more, but it will all be brought to light in Lothlórien.**

**Labyrinth Lover - Thank you so much! And thank you for adding AIME to your alerts! =D**

Song credits: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Glee Cast

Review please! =D


	6. Chapter 5

**Next chapter, w00t! This one was ridiculously easy to write. I might put up another chapter later today just out of sheer boredom from getting this done so early.**

**This is entirely about the Council of Elrond and Alice joining the Fellowship, so it's much shorter than my last chapter.  
>Disclaimer: I own nothing. 'Cept Alice.<strong>

Alice quietly slips in behind everyone else, and takes a seat next to Aragorn at the council. He lays a hand on hers, and gives it a gentle squeeze, before laying his hand back on his armrest. No one else notices except Gandalf, who sends her a fast wink. Elrond pretends to not even notice her presence at all. Everyone sits in identical chairs in a semi-circle around a stone pedestal.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor." She can't help but feel like that first part was directed especially at her. "Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall." _"He takes his job way too seriously."_ "Each race is bound to this fate — this one doom." He gestures to the pedestal. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." The Hobbit stands and lays the Ring on the pedestal.

"So it is true…"

It's the first time Alice has heard Boromir speak, but it's so faint, she barely can hear him. Frodo returns to his seat beside Gandalf. He seems relieved. The members of the Council stare at the Ring, mesmerized by it, all except Alice. To her, it's just a plain gold ring. If she saw someone wearing it, she would assume they were married.

"The Doom of Men." Someone Alice doesn't know whispers quietly. Boromir stands to address the council.

"In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark. But in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying: 'Your doom is near at hand.'" He approaches the Ring on the plinth. _"This guy is creepy."_ "Isildur's Bane is found." Boromir reaches out towards the Ring. Alice doesn't miss Gandalf and Elrond exchange concerned looks. Boromir's fingers hover above the Ring. "Isildur's Bane." She hears him whisper quietly. Elrond leaps up.

"Boromir!" He shouts.

Gandalf stands and begins to talk in a language that Alice can't understand, nor does she want to. The words come out harsh like German, but far fouler than anything she's ever heard before. She recalls distantly that J.R.R. Tolkien had fought in one of the World Wars, and because of it, wrote whatever language that Gandalf now speaks in based on their language. She wonders dimly if the way she now perceives this tongue was the way he perceived the Germans he had to face.

"Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul." The ring echoes the harsh words. Thunder crackles as the sky darkens. The Council stares around them in fear and confusion. The voice of the Ring dies away. People resume their seats, horrified, Boromir amongst them. (One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.)

"Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!" Elrond says to Gandalf with a dirty look.

"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West!" Gandalf says his voice raspy now. "The Ring is altogether evil!" He gives Boromir a final scathing glance and resumes his seat.

"It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor." Boromir says, unperturbed. "Why not use this Ring?" He starts to pace. "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!"

"You cannot wield it!" Aragorn says, startling Alice. She had not expected him to talk. "None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir says a cross between bitterness and scathing tone in his words. Legolas is quick to jump to Aragorn's defense.

"This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Alice tries to tell herself that her heart is fluttering and her blood is racing because of the sudden excitement in the room. Boromir looks at Aragorn, shocked.

"Aragorn? This… is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas continues, almost smugly. Alice peals her eyes away from the Elf to steal a glance at Frodo, who's staring wide-eyed at Aragorn.

"Havo dad, Legolas." Aragorn tells him in what Alice's mind registers as French. (Sit down, Legolas.)

"Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king." Boromir responds with a tone Alice can't quite name, but he returns to his seat. There's a long, awkward pause.

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." Gandalf says after a moment.

"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed." Elrond says nigh on dramatically.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Says one of the Dwarves; Gandalf told her his name last night, but all she can remember was that it started with a 'G'. The Dwarf grabs an axe and approaches the pedestal. "Argh!" He says as he strikes the Ring with full force. He's suddenly thrown back, landing on his back painfully. The Ring remains intact with the shards of the axe all around it.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin," _"THAT WAS IT! Gimli!"_ Alice thinks victoriously, "by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." _"Geez, would've never guessed he had a thing for the dramatic."_ "One of you must do this."

Silence.

Boromir rubs his eyes, "One does not simply walk into Mordor." Alice refrains from clapping a hand over her mouth, _"THAT'S WHERE THAT PHRASE CAME FROM!"_ "Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!" Legolas stands, indignation coming off him in waves.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Gimli's on his feet in a heartbeat.

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Boromir rises slowly.

"And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" _"'When'? Geez, this guy has lots of faith."_

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" _"RACIST!"_ An argument starts, everyone on their feet, basically just yelling at each other. Alice nudges Aragorn, who has remained seated next to her.

"Politics, gotta love 'em." She whispers very quietly, hoping that her voice won't be heard by the yelling Elves. Aragorn just smiles grimly, but it's a smile.

"Never trust an Elf!" Alice hears Gimli shout. She glances at Frodo, who's still sitting, and is staring at the Ring.

"Do you not understand that while we bicker amongst ourselves, Sauron's power grows? None can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!" Gandalf yells, _"You all? What, you won't be destroyed with us?"_ Of course, Gandalf shouting at them doesn't help matters, but makes the argument worse. Alice rubs her eyes with her hand, thinking, _"How in the world are they ever going to agree on this?"_

"I will take it!" Alice and Aragorn both stop, hearing Frodo shout. They look at him, shocked.  
>"I will take it!" Frodo yells again, louder this time so he may be heard. Elrond takes notice of him as the argument dies down. Alice looks up at Gandalf just in time to see him close his eyes. Everyone slowly turns towards Frodo, astonished. "I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though — I do not know the way." Alice grins widely, though no one can see it.<p>

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf says, walking up to stand behind Frodo, and then places his hands reassuringly on the Hobbit's shoulders. Aragorn startles Alice yet again when he suddenly stands.

"If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." He approaches Frodo and kneels before him. "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow." Legolas says resolutely, before walking over to join them. _"I hope he has a brother…"_

"And my axe!" Gimli says, and he looks grimly at Legolas as he joins the group. Boromir slowly walks over to them.

"You carry the fate of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done." _"__Damn__, I wish Congress meetings went a little bit more like this. People just volunteering to get stuff done."_ Everyone's startled as they hear a little shout from behind them.

"Mister Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!" Sam says as he stands rather resolutely next to Frodo, who just smiles at him. Elrond seems to be amused.

"No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." Sam looks a bit shamefaced at this, which makes Alice laugh a little.

"Wait! We are coming too!" This time, Alice does really put a hand to her mouth at the shock of seeing Merry and Pippin emerge from behind two pillars to join them.

"You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" Merry says, putting one arm around Frodo's shoulders. Frodo stares at them, astonished.

"Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest… thing." Pippin says, trying to be firm, but failing miserably.

"Well that rules you out, Pip." Alice's shoulders roll as she tries to hold in her laughter at the Hobbits.

"Nine companions…" Elrond says thoughtfully. "So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!" Alice grins, happy for them.

"Great! Where are we going?"

_Later…_

Alice carefully knocks on the door to Elrond's study, still in her get up from the council earlier.

"Come!" Says his strong voice, and she slowly opens the door.

"You wanted to see me, Lord Elrond?" She asks, peeking her covered head in the door. She sees Lord Elrond sitting at his desk, with Frodo, Aragorn, and Gandalf sitting across from him. They've all turned to look at her, and Frodo's eyes are wide. Elrond closes a book he has open.

"Yes, Alice, please come in." She opens the door all the way, and quickly steps in side, shutting the door behind her. "As you are well aware, there is now a Fellowship that is going to be sent to Mordor to destroy the One Ring." Alice sends a glance at Frodo, and she can see the chain underneath his mess of hair. She nods once. "I would like for you to go with them."

Alice feels her heart skip a beat and her breathing stop. Her face feels cold. Her imagination runs wild with the description Boromir gave earlier of Mordor. Horror spreads through her veins, and her eyes are open for so long they start to burn. Her body is as still as a statue, yelling at her to fight while her mind screams to run. Her fight-or-flight reaction is at war with itself, not knowing what to do, and she is lost in the confusion. She dry swallows.

"But I don't know how to fight." Is her weak excuse, and her voice sounds foreign in her own ears. It's thin, and sounds as though it might break at any second. Frodo's curious.

"What do you mean? You defended me on Amon Sûl!" She sighs.

"I know, Frodo, I just don't know how I defended you. I told you, I don't even remember what happened." She rubs a hand across her face.

"Alice, you have been gifted beyond your knowledge. Trust me when I say that you can fight, you just don't know how you do it." Gandalf says cryptically, and Elrond shoots him daggers with his eyes.

"I'm also a woman, isn't that against some moral code or something for a woman be on a dangerous quest?" She responds, trying another reason.

"Yes, but where you come from, is not normal for women to do things that are considered dangerous? Surely you're used to this by now." Gandalf rebuffs.

"Other people won't be happy about it. I can't imagine how Gimli or Boromir will react." She throws back, and Gandalf stops to think.

"Boromir and Gimli will just have to deal with it," Frodo says with a shrug, "I don't really care what they think. I would feel much safer with you by my side than anyone else, after what I saw on Weathertop." She sees Aragorn smirk.

"I'm certain Legolas will be happy to know you're coming." Alice glares, and Aragorn goes for a different tactic. "Why are you trying so hard to get out of this? You weren't so upset about coming to Rivendell on our way here."

"Because when Sam says, 'we're going to see the Elves' like it's the greatest thing in the world, it sounds like it'll be pleasant. When Boromir gives a description that sounds like hell itself, I get a bit nervous, and I'm honestly not that brave. I'm not ready for this." Gandalf smiles.

"It's for that very reason that I know you are." Frodo gives her what she would call a puppy-dog-pout.

"Please, Alice." Inwardly, Alice groans. _"What have I gotten myself into?"_

**So, yeah, done with that. I think in the next chapter she'll get to interact with Boromir for the first time. More Legolas to come. If anyone has any song suggestions, I'd be more than happy to hear them! Just put it in a review, and make sure it doesn't make any references to the modern world at all. Or is too sexual. Cuz that's exactly what we need, to dirty up the minds of the male Fellowship members before they leave. *rolls eyes***

**Lyane de Rivesen - Do you mind if I just start calling you Lyane? It'd be easier to remember how to spell, lol. I know, I'm all excited for her and Legolas. Much more flirting to come, it's gonna be hilarious. *grins*  
>Gandalf and Elrond are not the only ones who know something about her, but I'm not going to say anymore on that subject. :P<strong>

**Labyrinth Lover - Hahaha, well, here's some more for you! More to come, of course.**

**Thank you to aandm20 for adding AIME to their favorites! Don't forget to tell your friends!**

**Thank you for reading this, and please review! =D**


	7. Chapter 6

**This chapter's a bit longer than my usual ones... I think I may have subconsciously been trying to make up for how short the last one felt when I was writing it. Lol.**

**WARNING: BOROMIR PORTRAYED IN GOOD LIGHT IN THIS CHAPTER.  
>Disclaimer: 'Dis chica owns none of the stuff she's writing about... 'cept, y'know, da main chica, Alice.<strong>

Alice sits by herself high up in a tree. The tree is the outermost of the forest that surrounds Rivendell. The trees form a circle around a stone courtyard that branches off an outside hallway. The stones are set in spiral pattern, going from monstrous on the outermost edge to just a bit bigger than Alice's smallest finger. At the very center of the spiral is a large ornate fountain from which water bustles. The noise soothes Alice, allowing her to focus on her book. It's on Dwarven history, and is not very long, seeing as the Elves don't know very much about Dwarves. She never hears Aragorn and Frodo as they walk past down the hall.

"Is that Alice, over there in the tree?" Frodo asks Aragorn quietly. The taller man looks up, spots the young woman, and nods. Frodo chuckles, "I'm still amazed she was at the council and I never realized it." Aragorn smiles.

"Only Gandalf, Lord Elrond, and I even knew. Lady Arwen helped her pick out an outfit that would conceal her identity even from Elvish eyes." Frodo nods.

"Is she the maiden I overheard the blonde Elf that defended you at the council speaking about?" Frodo asks, and Aragorn refrains from laughing, not wanting to disturb Alice.

"His name is Legolas, he's the prince of Mirkwood, and yes, she is. I asked her myself. When he finally figured out her name, since she wouldn't tell him, he came and told me it as soon as he could get the chance, and proclaimed it was the most beautiful name he'd ever heard." They're far away enough that Alice won't hear them, and Frodo laughs.

"I get the feeling there will be a budding romance on our quest." The Hobbit says with a large grin, which Aragorn returns.

"You there!" A voice startles Alice out of her book, and she looks down to see Boromir standing near the fountain, looking up at her. "Are you Alice?"

"Yes, is there something I can do for you, Lord Boromir?" She doesn't smirk at his surprised expression, though she does want to. Recovering, he points up to a tree branch near her.

"May I join you?"

Though he did kind of revile her at the council, she knows it would be rude to refuse, so she nods. He climbs up slowly, obviously not used to climbing trees. She grabs his arm quickly when one of his feet slip, but he thankfully does not fall. He regains his balance, and then hoists himself up on the branch to the right of hers. He thanks her quietly for her help, and then gets quiet. She knows he's here for a reason, so she waits him out, letting him be the first one to talk.

"You're coming with us on the quest." It's not a question. It's a statement.

"You have a problem with that." It's not a question. It's a statement.

"Can you even fight?" Boromir asks skeptically, and she laughs.

"That's exactly what I said. Well, sort of. I told them I can't. But, really, I can. Sort of. It's a long, complicated story for which I have no answers. Really, I'm only coming because Lord Elrond, Gandalf, and Frodo insist upon it. I'm sure I'll be dead in a week." It's Boromir's turn to laugh.

"I doubt a week, but I see your point." He sighs, scratching his forehead. Another long pause,

"What are you reading?"

"Ironically enough, a book about Dwarven history. By an Elf. As if Elves know anything about Dwarfish history." She says with a laugh, and he joins her.

"Can you understand a word of it?" He asks, still laughing a little.

"Yeah, weirdly enough. Where I come from," he interrupts her.

"New Orleans?" The words sound strange coming from him, but she nods.

"Yes, New Orleans, the language we're speaking in now is called 'English'. But because of the history of the city, a lot of people can speak another language called 'French'. I can speak it, too. I know this book is written in what you perceive as Elvish. But when I read it, it's like I'm reading it in French," she turns to look at him, "Isn't that strange?" He nods, and then smiles.

"Tell me something in French." She thinks for a minute.

"Je pense que je vais mourir dans une semaine." He gets a mock-contemplative look.

"Doesn't even sound like Elvish." He laughs. "What did you say?"

"I said I think I'm going to die in a week." They both laugh. It's quiet again after the laughter stops.

"Well, it was pleasure getting to know you. I'm glad to know I'll have at least one friend on this quest." He says with a smile, which she returns. He holds out his left hand, and she puts her right in it, thinking he's going to shake it. He surprises her by kissing her knuckles. Her cheeks turn a light pink. _"First Legolas, now Boromir? Who's next, Sam?"_ Still grinning, he jumps off the branch and lands easily on his feet. _"I hope my descent is half as graceful as that."_ She thinks with a laugh. He bows to her, before turning and walking away briskly. She laughs at him quietly, and then goes back to her book when he goes to leave.

It's another half hour before Alice is disturbed again, and she's made some progress through her book. But again, she is startled out of concentration. Except this time, it's by a pebble. It smacks against the old tree with a sharp 'thud' near her head, and then plummets to the ground. She turns, angry, towards the thrower, expecting it to be one of the Hobbits or some other great fool. _"Don't they know they could have hit me in the face with that?"_ She thinks angrily. She's surprised when it's Legolas, throwing small pebbles at exactly the same place, his aim perfect. Her anger turns to embarrassment, which is quickly stifled, and an air of self-assurance takes its place.

"Don't you know you could've hit me in the face with that?" She says, challenging his aim. He smirks.

"I doubt that very seriously. I have very, very good aim." He responds, sure of himself. "But now that I have your attention, may I join you?"

"_What is it with these guys today?"_ She knows that even if she wanted to, she would be unable to tell him no, so for the second time that day, she allows a fellow Fellowship member to join her in her tree. He climbs up swiftly, with a grace and speed that makes Boromir look like a sluggish chimpanzee. A soft breeze comes in, gently billowing her dark green dress and his blonde hair.

"Your dress looks lovely." He compliments smoothly, and her cheeks regain their pink tint from when Boromir was here.

"Thank you. It was a gift from Lady Arwen… along with all of my other clothes." She says with a chuckle. He chuckles as well.

"Yes, I heard you come from somewhere very far away."

"Just down the rabbit hole…" She mumbles to herself. Legolas looks at her oddly, and she hurries to explain. "There's this story where I'm from about a girl named Alice. She falls into a rabbit hole, and travels to a place where nothing makes any sense called 'Wonderland'. Except instead of being 23 like me, she's only about 7 or so." He gives her a curious look, and she smiles. "I'll tell you the story some other time." There's a moment of silence that is neither comfortable nor uncomfortable, unlike with Boromir where it was just plain awkward.

"What are you reading?" _"Is that the go-to question to break the silence in Middle Earth?"_ She gives him the same answer she gave Boromir earlier, and Legolas looks at her like she's crazy.

"Why would you read a book about Dwarfish history?" She tries to not hear how racist that was.

"Because we're going to be travelling with a Dwarf, and I know nothing about Dwarves or their customs. I thought it might be a good idea to read up on them to become familiar with their legends and lore so I don't sound like a complete moron." He opens his mouth to ask another question, but then stops, and closes it. Instead, he chooses to think about her answer for a few more minutes. Thankful for the break from his speech, she quickly puts in a bookmark (being one of the few people she knows who point blank refuses to bunny ear pages in books), and shuts the book. "I've been learning a lot about Elvish history from Lord Elrond, and he's been letting me borrow books on Dwarf history and on the history of Gondor. I've also been pouring over maps, trying to memorize everything I can before we have to leave next month." Legolas looks at her, admiration shining in his eyes. She smiles, blushes, and looks away.

"Don't be embarrassed, that's actually a brilliant idea. One I wish I would have thought of." He says with a smile, which she quickly returns. Another silence.

"So, have you figured out my name yet?" She says, mirth coloring her question. She knows the answer to the question, but she also knows that it'll make good conversation.

"Yes. Alice. It's a lovely name." The look in his eyes is one of such sincerity that Alice can't hold his gaze, and instead, looks down at the ground. She tries to convince herself that her heart's summersaults are due to the fresh air.

"Thank you. I like it, too. I don't know anyone else with it." She pauses, and she knows that he hasn't stopped staring at her yet. "What's Mirkwood like?" She says idly. He's surprised by the sudden question.

"What?"

"Mirkwood. The maps don't really tell me very much, and Lord Elrond has only been telling me about the history and migration of Sindar Elves. He hasn't told me very much about Silvan Elves." He struggles to come up with some kind of answer, and it's the least graceful she's ever seen an Elf. She tries very hard to not laugh at him, but he grins when a small chuckle escapes.  
>"Actually, I and my father are Sindar Elves. My father and I moved from a town called Lindon when I was a small boy. I do not remember it very well."<p>

"And because Sindar Elves are considered wiser than Silvan Elves, your father was chosen to become king?" He gives her a look of curiosity, "I'm quick. Please continue."

It's almost evening by the time Legolas finishes. Alice has spent the entire afternoon questioning him on Mirkwood and his past, and he regales her with all of his adventures. Neither of them really notices their frequent passerby's, namely the Hobbits, especially Merry and Pippin. Gandalf and Elrond walk by once as well, and it is during Legolas' story of when he and Aragorn caught the creature Gollum. Alice's look of sheer wonder does not escape either of the elder men, nor her giggles when Legolas attempts at a joke. They roll their eyes at the two, make a small comment about young love, and continue walking. Arwen even spots them once, and stops to listen for several minutes before retreating to find Aragorn and tell him.

"Well," Alice says as Legolas pauses for breath, "you must tell me the rest of this later, but I need to go put this book back before I go to dinner." She smiles at the Elf in a flirty way, "Will I see you at tonight's feast?" He returns the smile.

"Maybe." In a bold move, Legolas reaches across, gives her a kiss on the nose, and leaps out of the tree to the stone ground below. He quickly dashes off, leaving a stunned Alice behind.

Alice's feet guide her back to the study, as her mind is incapable of doing it. She opens the door to Elrond's study without knocking first, partially because the shock has made her forgetful, but also because she's rather certain no one's in there as it's almost time for dinner. Forgetting where she got the book from, she simply sets it down on Lord Elrond's desk, and walks out. Guiding herself down the labyrinth-like hallways, she forces her thoughts about Legolas' kiss out of her mind. It wasn't even like he actually kissed her, he just gave her a peck on bridge of her nose. That doesn't even really count! And about everything else, it shouldn't be making her react like it is. She barely bats an eyelash when most men kiss her. _"Okay, first of all, chica,"_ a voice speaks up in her mind, _"he's not a normal man. He's an Elf. And secondly, you didn't blink an eye at them because you were expecting them to kiss you. They were paying for that privilege. He just gave you one out of the blue…. I thought I was trying to stop thinking about this?"_

Shaking the last strands of thought about the matter out of her mind, she opens the door to the "Hall", or really, the dining room. It's a huge, huge room, about a hundred feet long and a hundred and fifty feet wide. The one hundred foot long table (made out of the prettiest wood Alice has ever seen in her life) runs parallel to the wall on Alice's left. On her right is a huge stage, on which different kinds of instruments, some unfamiliar to her, sit. About ten Elves currently sit on the stage, playing soft classical music. There are five long and tall windows, covered in ornate purple drapes, letting in the soft sunlight as the sun goes to sleep and awakens the moon. The windows open to Rivendell's largest garden, and when the windows are open, the scent of flowers fill the room.

Lord Elrond sits closest to her at the head of the table. He turns in his chair to see her enter, and she notices that they've started without her. He nods his head in the direction of Merry and Pippin, where sits the only empty chair. There are actually only twenty chairs out, all widely spaced to make the table look fuller. The table can actually sit about seventy people comfortably. She quickly walks over to the Hobbits, avoiding eye contact with _everyone_. Intentionally.

"Good evening, Alice!" The Hobbits chirp at the same time. Alice reciprocates the greeting, and glances along the table. On Lord Elrond's left is Gandalf, Aragorn, Lady Arwen, Legolas, two Elves Alice doesn't know, Boromir, and Gimli. On Lord Elrond's right is Frodo, Sam, another three Elves Alice doesn't know, Merry, herself, and Pippin. She looks up at Boromir, who sits directly across from her and smiles with his mouth full.

"Good evening, Lord Boromir." She says respectfully, and he swallows.

"Good evening, Alice, and please, just call me Boromir."

"Soooooo," Merry starts.

"Where have you been all afternoon?" Pippin finishes. _"Oh no."_

"In a tree, reading a book."

"Oh?" Pippin asks.  
>"What was it about?" Merry also asks. She has to force herself to not roll her eyes.<p>

"Dwarven history." She says matter-of-factly. Gimli sputters on his food.

"What?" He starts in with, "What do you mean you were reading about Dwarven history?" He asks this so loudly it draws the attention of the entire table. Irritation grows in her mind.

"More like studying, Master Gimli. I thought it would be wise to study the history of the different cultures that I would be exposed to on our quest. Lord Elrond has been kind enough to teach me what he knows about Sindar Elves, his and Prince Legolas' people, and I have already read several volumes about the history of Gondor, and I have two more to go. I've read two books on Hobbits, and only one more to go. Lord Elrond, unfortunately, only has two books on Dwarves, and I was trying to read the first one this afternoon." She can feel the stares of astonishment coming from all across the table, except for, of course, Elrond and Gandalf. "I have also been trying to memorize every map available to me in Lord Elrond's study, seeing as I am completely unfamiliar with the terrain of Arda. If this offends you, Master Gimli, I shall be more than happy to stop immediately, as this is a very tedious and at times, overbearing task." Her right hand, which has been resting on the table, clenches into a fist during her speech. All talk and music has stopped, and everyone waits for Gimli's response.  
>"I take no offense in the matter, Lady Alice," he starts, trying to soothe the now awakened dragon he has unfortunately stumbled across, "I simply would rather you had come to me in your personal quest for knowledge about Dwarves. I would have been happy to oblige you. I do not trust the Elves' knowledge about my culture or people." She relaxes, and gives him a pleasant smile.<p>

"Alright, then I will come and see you first thing in the morning, that you may give me an education, and correct whatever wrongful knowledge I already have." The tension in the air wafts out of the room as everyone relaxes as well. Gimli smiles and nods. _"I am woman, hear me roar!"_ She thinks to herself with a small laugh. Merry and Pippin allow her to have three or four bites before resuming their questioning.

"Did anything interesting happen while you were in your tree?" Pippin asks innocently. _"Great, either I offend both Boromir _and_ Legolas by saying 'nothing', or I allow the Hobbits to continue questioning me."_

"Not really," she starts, trying to play it off, "I received a few visitors who interrupted my reading, but aside from that, no, nothing really happened."

"Who came to visit you?" Merry asks, also playing the 'innocent' card. "_Damnit!"_ She gestures to the man across from her.

"Boromir spoke with me for a while," she can almost sense Aragorn's gaze fall on her again, "and then Legolas" now the Elf prince looks at her, "also came to see me." Boromir chokes on his food. He hadn't known that Legolas had also found Alice. Now she can feel Arwen's gaze on her too, and she shoots the smirking Elf a 'HELP ME' look. The she-elf responds with a very slight shake of the head, telling her that she had to deal with this on her own. _"Damnit, damnit, damnit."_

"What did you talk about?" Pippin again, and she takes a drink from her wine to give herself a chance to come up with a reasonable answer.

"Well, actually, the book mostly." She says with a laugh, remembering how both men had asked about it, "But Boromir also asked me about myself a little," she gives the man a smile, "And Legolas, after some prodding, told me a few stories. Then I left to go put the book back before dinner."

Boromir mentally calculates the time between he left and when she would've had to leave the tree to go put back the book. He realizes the events were several hours apart, which means either she spent a lot of time in the study, or she spent a lot of time in the presence of Legolas. He doesn't know why this upsets him.

Pippin and Merry realize at the same time that they've been had. She hasn't given away enough to let them tease her. She has actually, expertly dodged their questions. They decide to leave her alone for now… until Pippin remembers something.

"Oh, Alice, you never fulfilled your promise!" She looks at the young Hobbit sharply.

"What do you mean, Pippin?"

"Before you fell unconscious, back at the clearing with the stone trolls, you promised me you'd finish that song you were playing. It was a lovely song. Would you mind singing it now?" She tries to think back, and recalls that she had her guitar at one point, but can't remember singing.

"I'm sorry Pippin, but I don't know what you're talking about. Do you remember the words?" He doesn't even have to think. He starts singing the song, low and sweet, and the tune is immediately familiar to the female guitarist.

"_If I die young,  
>bury me in satin…"<em>

"That's enough, Pippin," Alice says, interrupting him. "I remember the song. But that is a very sad tune, I'll save it for a time when there's less merriment, or in private later, alright?" Pippin nods.

"Well, sing something for us, Alice!" Frodo calls out from down the table, having overheard their conversation.

"Yeah, Miss Alice! Don't leave us hanging!" Sam also says, not having to shout as the table has quieted again. Alice rolls her eyes. Merry nudges her, and points to her guitar behind her.

"It's alright, Merry, I won't need it." She stands, and goes to the orchestration. She whispers something to them, and instantly, the violins start playing a soft song. She turns around with a smirk, and says loudly enough for everyone to hear. "This is for Lord Elrond, in honor of our first conversation." Elrond and Gandalf share a confused glance, but then have to cover their mouths to stop themselves from laughing out loud when Alice starts sings a certain line in the beautiful tune.

"_A chair is still a chair_  
><em>Even when there's no one sitting there<em>  
><em>But a chair is not a house<em>  
><em>And a house is not a home<em>  
><em>When there's no one there to hold you tight<em>  
><em>And no one there you can kiss goodnight.<em>

_A room is a still a room_  
><em>Even when there's nothing there but gloom<em>  
><em>But a room is not a house<em>  
><em>And a house is not a home<em>  
><em>When the two of us are far apart<em>  
><em>And one of us has a broken heart.<em>

_Now and then I call your name__  
><em>_And suddenly a face appears__  
><em>_But it's just a crazy game__  
><em>_When it ends, it ends in tears_

_So darling, have a heart__  
><em>_Don't let one mistake keep us apart__  
><em>_I'm not meant to live alone__  
><em>_Turn this house into a home__  
><em>_When I climb the stairs and turn the key__  
><em>_Oh, please be there__  
><em>_Still in love with me."_

Applause rings out, and Alice gives a low curtsy, just as Arwen taught her. She glances at Legolas, and sees tears misting his eyes. Next she glances at Boromir, and admiration shines in his. She smiles to herself as she sits back down between Merry and Pippin. Aragorn calls for her attention.

"What conversation did you have with Lord Elrond that inspired such a song, Alice?" The din had increased, but it decreases again so that everyone could hear. She chuckles.

"I may have mildly teased him about this being the 'House' of Elrond, and not the home." She smiles at the Elf, "He took it well." Her smile is returned with a small one of his own, and Aragorn chuckles.

"You weren't intimidated by Lord Elrond? Or Gandalf?" Frodo asks from his side of the table. She laughs.

"Frodo, where I come from, I don't see names and titles and ranks. I see men for who they are at their weakest point, and judge them from that." Mildly uncomfortable chuckles are heard around the table. Alice takes the chance to finally eat some of her food, and then turns to Boromir. "So, tell me about the White City." She says with a smile.

_The next morning…_

Alice wakes up to one of the maids drawing back her curtains as the sun comes up over the horizon. She opens one eye, gives the maid a smile, and then lays there for a minute longer before deciding to get up. She had been up most of the night, talking in Lord Elrond's study with Boromir. He told her all about Minas Tirith as she had asked, and then told her about his life. He was a good storyteller like Legolas, but in different ways. Whereas Legolas had a tendency to 'wax poetic' in the middle of his story, or give long narratives about the plants and trees that he saw, Boromir had a small tendency to give too many gory details about the battles he had fought and won. He surprised her when he told her about how his mother had died when he was a small boy, and then surprised her further when he was honest about the unequal treatment his father gives him and his younger brother.

Don't think she hadn't noticed the large difference between when she's around Legolas to when she's around Boromir. With Legolas, she feels like a school girl who's got a huge crush on an older boy, because he seems so far above and beyond her. With Boromir, it's like breathing. She's not tense because she's trying to impress him like with Legolas, she feels like she can just be herself with Boromir. Yet, strangely, she finds herself loving every minute of both.

She's still thinking about all of this when a soft knock comes to her door. She's only wearing a corset underneath a loose nightgown (she had been too tired to fight with the corset, so she'd slept in it), and then a robe she's just put on and tied around her waist. She goes to the door and peeks out. It's Boromir again, so she opens the door fully. He blushes at her basically see-through outfit, but doesn't comment. In his hands he's holding a small ivory penny whistle that has what looks like scenes depicted on the sides. The end that's blown into looks sharp enough to cut.

"I brought you this…" he starts off slowly, "it's a whistle I brought from home. I thought maybe you could figure out how to play it, and then bring it on the quest." She takes the small whistle off his hands and admires it. "It has a few battles pictured on it, but I doubt you're really interested in that aspect," he says with a laugh. "I was taught how to play it as a young boy, but I only remember one tune." She starts to hand it back.

"Would you play it for me?" He indicates inside of her room, and she quickly steps back to allow him entrance. Once inside, he shuts the door behind him, and then plays his song. It's a happy, simple little tune. When he finishes, he wipes his spit off the end with his sleeve and then hands it back. She admires it again, cherishing the small whistle. "Thank you, Boromir. It's the best gift I've ever gotten." She says with a genuine smile, and he looks down to hide his light blush.

"You're welcome." He responds quietly, and she sighs.

"I'll try and learn how to play it later, I need to get dressed. I'm due to meet with Gimli in an hour." She says, biting her lip.

"Oh, so you are taking him up on those Dwarf lessons?" He says curiously, and she nods. "Will I see you later?" She purses her lips, hoping that it hides her smile.

"Sometime this afternoon, perhaps." He nods, and bids her farewell before leaving. Once the door shuts, the two Elf maids peek their heads around the corner from the bathroom, grinning from ear to pointed ear. "Tais-toi!" (Shut-up!)

**And done!**

**Lady Minuialwen - Got a name change, eh? I like this one, though I have no idea how to pronounce it, lol. What does Minuialwen mean? And thanks, my favorite line was the one about Congress never getting stuff done, lol.**

**Song credits: "House is Not a Home" by Glee Cast.  
>"If I Die Young" by The Band Perry<strong>

**Tell your friends, and review please! =D**


	8. Chapter 7

**Okay, changed the last chapter a bit. Instead of Boromir giving her a small flute, he gives her a penny whistle. Just a small note. Oh, and changed a small piece in Alice's conversation with Legolas, as there was a continuity error (thanks again, Lyane!).****  
><strong>**Disclaimer: All characters are property of J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson. I only own Alice.**

Alice is back in her little stone court yard. Except this time, instead of sitting up in what has become her favorite tree, she sits on the edge of the fountain. A book lays open at her feet, and she's got her guitar in her lap and her new penny whistle at her lips. She's trying to identify all the notes that the little instrument so that she can figure out what songs she can play on it. She's sitting with her knees shifted towards the hall way, and behind her she's got a half eaten piece of fruit that she's been eating for lunch.

"Alice?" Calls a voice. Startled, Alice looks up to see Legolas leaning against a pillar, trying to appear casual, but the curious look on his face and the unexplainable tension in his muscles gives him away. "Where did you get that whistle?" She sets it down behind her.

"Care to join me?" She asks, patting the free space on the stone next to her. He relaxes, but neither of them fails to notice the fact that she's avoiding the question. He sits, and then picks up the book. It's full of old Elvish songs. "Got it from Elrond. I've had to invent my own tunes for them, since I haven't really had any help with this." He flips through the book, trying to find a tune he knows.

"I would sing one for you, but these are songs that were crafted in Rivendell." He looks at her with a shrug. "None of them have made it to Mirkwood for me to learn." She gives him a mock sad look.

"Aww." He grins. "Oh well," she sets her guitar and whistle aside. "What can I do for you, Prince Legolas?" He gets a fake contemplative look and taps his chin. He looks at her, his eyes thin slits as he 'thinks'. They both laugh.

"Have you had lunch yet?" She holds up her half eaten apple, and he looks between her and it several times with an incredulous expression. "That's it?" She nods, and he shakes his head. Before he can say anything more, a breeze kicks up and Alice clutches her arms, suddenly freezing. Legolas stands, and picks up the guitar and the book. "Let's go inside. I'll get you a real lunch, and you can sit by the fire and warm up."

She grabs the penny whistle and heads inside ahead of the Prince. He leads her into the Fire Room again, and makes her sit on one of the chairs near the fire. She stares into it, forgetting Boromir, Legolas, Frodo, the Ring, and all of Middle Earth. Fire has always held something calming for her. Her thoughts seem to go up in smoke whenever she has a chance to simply sit and stare at a fire, calming her, and allowing her to simply blank out. Legolas shakes her shoulder, startling her.

"Oh, sorry Legolas, just got lost in the fire, I guess." She says with a smile. She looks down and sees a soft blanket splayed out on the floor, and a small basket on one side.

"I was going to ask you this morning if you wanted to have a picnic with me, but with how cold it's been, well, I thought this would be much more appropriate." He tells her, smiling, before offering his hand to her. She takes it, stands, and then sits down again, but on the blanket. She holds up her whistle, which she's been holding this whole time, and puts it to her lips to play a few notes. It's the beginning of the Lord of the Rings theme. Cheesy? Yes. Is it hysterically ironic? Even more so. "You never told me where that whistle came from." She tries to play it off.

"I got it from Boromir. He said he hadn't played it since he was a little boy, so he thought that I could make better use of it. After all," she gently taps him on the end of his nose with one side of the whistle, "I am very talented." He scrunches his nose, and gives a fake laugh to hide the jealousy seeping from him. Neither thing hides his intense envy from Alice, but she decides it might be best to not comment.

The two eat their food in relative silence, each asking the occasional question about the other, or if the food is good. Alice can't help but feel terrible, blaming herself for the sudden awkwardness. She can see the jealousy in him, but she can't understand why he's jealous at all. It's just a penny whistle, after all… isn't it?

_Later…_

Alice decides to stay in the Fire Room, enjoying the relative silence, after Legolas cleans up and leaves to go practice his archery. They both see right through his lie, but she's is too hurt by it to say anything. Instead, she picks up the whistle and starts to play another song she'd figured out earlier. After a while, she loses interest, and unaware that the Hobbits have come in with Bilbo to talk, starts to sing the song.

"_Beauty queen of only eighteen__  
><em>_She had some trouble with herself__  
><em>_He was always there to help her__  
><em>_She always belonged to someone else___

_I rode for miles and miles,"_ She changes the word from 'drove' to 'road' in case if anyone's listening to her,_  
><em>_"And wound up at your door__  
><em>_I've had you so many times__  
><em>_But somehow I want more___

_I don't mind spending every day__  
><em>_Out on your corner in the pouring rain__  
><em>_Look for the girl with the broken smile__  
><em>_Ask her if she wants to stay awhile___

_And she will be loved__  
><em>_And she will be loved"_

She softly hums the rest of the song to herself, when she hears applause. She jumps about a quarter of a mile, and then turns around in her chair to see the five Hobbits. She rolls her eyes, and then is invited to join them.

"Alice," Frodo begins, "This is my uncle, Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo, this is our other-worldly friend, Alice." Alice openly gapes at Bilbo, unable to believe that before her stands – well, sits – the same man that she read about in a book in junior high. She shakes her head, and then sticks out her hand to shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Baggins. I'm sorry for staring, but I read your book when I was a little girl, and it's rather surreal to get to meet you in person." He smiles and laughs.

"It's simply Bilbo, my dear girl. 'Mr. Baggins' was my father. I'm curious, though, what do you mean you've read my book? It's only just been completed."

He stares in open wonder as she goes on to explain that his book is actually over a hundred years old where she's from, and is considered to be classic literature that is required reading for many children. She was 13 when she had to read it. He laughs, and asks her if she liked it, to which she shrugs and simply says that it wasn't her style. He agrees to recount part of the story for her at a later date, as she has 'another engagement'. The 'other engagement' being that she just spotted Boromir walk past the door, talking to Glorfindel. She gives Frodo and Sam a kiss on the forehead, as they're sitting closest to her, and then leaves.

She catches up quickly to the man and the Elf, but neither takes immediate notice of her. They're standing in a large room that's one of the several 'Center Hall's, as they have many doors that branch off into other rooms. She knows that on her left are the two massive, ornate doors that lead outside, and on her right is the large staircase that leads up to Elrond's study and personal wing. A plan forms itself in Alice's quirky mind.

She's careful to walk behind Boromir to makes certain he doesn't see her. She's glad he's too absorbed in his conversation with Glorfindel to notice her presence; however, she knows that the Elf spots her at least once. She sneaks behind the staircase, and hides in the shadows before pulling out her whistle. She stands so that she doesn't have to bend over at all to see the expression on Boromir's face when she starts playing. Taking a deep breath, she plays the opening notes for Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance".

Glorfindel is used to music almost always being played in all areas of Elrond's home, and so takes no notice of her playing. Boromir, however, knows the sound of it better than most, and is instantly distracted by it. Quickly excusing himself, he starts looking around, trying to find the source of the music. She keeps playing, but the acoustic quality of the room causes the sound to bounce. Finally, he comes to look underneath the staircase, and he spots her standing there, almost finished with the song. Getting a mischievous look, he suddenly charges at her, and before she can react, starts tickling her sides mercilessly.

"BOROMIR! Stop it, stop it!" Is all she can screech out between the fits of giggles, and Boromir starts to laugh as well. She whacks him with the whistle, knowing he'll be more hurt than the whistle will. He accidentally steps on her dress, and the two of them fall to the floor. He twists them around at the last second so he lands on his back and she on top of him.

"Ow," he mumbles out after the two of them lay there in pain for a minute. "That did not work as well as I thought it was going to." She giggles, and then smacks his shoulder, for which he gives her an incredulous look.

"That was for making me fall," she says, still giggling. Suddenly, her face goes very serious, "This is for breaking it," and she kisses him on the cheek. Boromir lays there, stunned for a moment, and she gets up and then holds out a hand to help him, which he gladly takes. There's an awkward silence, neither knowing what to say.

"Would you care to go to the gardens with me?" Boromir asks out of the blue. She nods, suddenly shy. He offers an arm, which she takes, and the two of them walk out to Elrond's gardens.

When they arrive, its mid afternoon, and only the evergreens are in bloom. All the other flowers have withered and died for the winter, as it's the first week of November. Boromir curses.

"What, what's the matter?" Alice asks as he sits down on a bench.

"The flowers, I forgot that it's November and they're dead." She laughs, and then shrugs.

"I don't mind." A pause, "What are you staring at?" Boromir shakes himself.

"Nothing, your hair in the sunlight." She blushes, puts her hair behind one ear, and he chuckles at her expression. She thinks of something and laughs. "What's so funny?"

"I just realized that with all this time I've been spending with you and Legolas," his heart shoots into his throat at the first part, but when she says the Elf's name, it plummets into his toes, "I haven't been doing any studying. I'll have forgotten everything I've learned when I go back to Elrond to resume it." He stands suddenly, and puts one hand underneath her chin so she looks into his eyes.

"No, you won't. You're a smart girl, Alice; you won't forget what you've learned." She gets the almost irresistible urge to kiss him. _"How in holy __hell am I going to last 6 more months like this?"_ Fear suddenly grips her heart, and Alice turns and runs, tears streaking her face.

She finds herself sometime later sitting alone in her room. One of the maids was still cleaning up, and was kind enough to bring her a handkerchief before leaving. _"I cannot believe how stupid I am. I don't even know how long I'm going to be here. I don't know if Legolas _or_ Boromir are going to live to the end of this… this… 'quest', 'adventure', whatever."_ A knock comes to her door, and she lays down on the bed with a groan.

"Leave me alone." She calls out; hoping whoever it is will do simply that. Instead, they do the opposite, and Alice opens one eye to see Arwen peeking her head in the door.

"May I?" Alice shrugs at the she-Elf, and mumbles something about it being Arwen's house. She comes inside, and lies down next to Alice. "Would you like to tell me what happened?" Alice sighs and rolls over.

"I royally fucked things up between Boromir, Legolas and I." Arwen takes the handkerchief and dabs at Alice's eyes.

"Start from the beginning. What happened?"

"Well," Alice starts, a hiccup escaping her, "this morning, Boromir came to see me. He gave me a penny whistle as a gift. I'm not sure why, he never said. I went to go play it in that little courtyard you showed me the other day, and after practicing for like, an hour, Legolas showed up. God, Arwen, I've never seen anyone that tense. Well, not while standing, at least. He didn't want me to know, but I could tell he was jealous. He wouldn't drop the subject of the whistle; he kept asking me where I got it. When I finally told him, he left. Then I talked to Bilbo for a while. I saw Boromir and Glorfindel walk by, so I thought I would follow them, and wait until they got done talking so I could talk to Boromir. I hid underneath the staircase that goes up to your father's study and played a very, um, risqué song on the whistle, but it isn't one you would know, so don't ask. When he found me, he tickled me, and then we fell on the floor, but he twisted us around so he'd land on the floor and I'd land on him. I…" a few more tears escape, and Arwen dabs them away again.

"What did you do, Alice?" She looks Arwen straight in the face.

"Give me your word you won't say a word of this to anyone, not even Aragorn." She says with a pointed look, and Arwen gives her word. Alice lets out a shaky breath. "I kissed him. On the cheek, but still. I said it was for breaking my fall." Arwen stares at her with wide eyes, "I know, I know, it was stupid. After that, he asked me to go to one of the gardens with him, apparently forgetting that all of the flowers are dead right now. He, he," Alice smiles shyly, and looks away from Arwen, "He stared at me, and when I caught him, he said he was staring at my hair in the sunlight. I remembered my studies and how I haven't been reading anything lately, and made a joke about not being able to remember anything when I finally do go back to continue studying. He grabbed my chin like this," she emulates Boromir's soft, comforting gesture with Arwen, "and told me about as far apart as we are now that I was a smart girl and would remember what I'd learned… and I freaked. I totally freaked out and ran. I ran straight back here." Arwen wraps an arm around Alice's waist and pulls her in for a hug as she begins sobbing openly. She shushes her quietly for a few minutes. When the tears recede, Arwen pulls back and looks her in the eye.

"Now," the she-Elf wipes away Alice's tears again, "tell me, why are you so upset?" Alice looks away.

"Because I love him." Arwen gives the much younger girl a curious stare.

"Who do you love?" Alice meets the much older woman's gaze.

"Boromir. And Legolas."

_In another part of the House of Elrond…_

Aragorn sits in a large, plush chair in Legolas' personal room, one hand rubbing his face tiredly. Legolas stands in front of him, burning a hole in the wooden floor with his pacing.

"I mean, what could she possibly see in him? What does he have that I don't?" Legolas asks for the fourth time. The mortal sighs.

"I don't know, Legolas." He's completely ignored.

"I mean, I'm an Elf. By nature, I'm better looking than him." He turns to Aragorn, "Aren't I?" Seeing the incredulous look on his friend's face, he holds up a hand, "Don't answer that. Also," he continues pacing, "I'm immortal, which means that she'll never have to fear me dying first. On top of all this, he's just heir to being a Steward. I'm heir to a kingdom! I'll be king one day, Aragorn!" Legolas runs a frustrated hand through his hair as Isildur's heir sits up in his chair and nods.

"Maybe it's personality." Legolas actually balks.

"Do you remember who we're comparing here? You think _he_ has more personality than _me_?" Aragorn holds up his hands.

"It's not what I think that matters, it's hers. Maybe there's some quality he has that you don't that she finds attractive." Legolas laughs out.

"What, having an unhealthy obsession with my home country? Yes, I quite doubt it." The ranger shrugs.

"Well, he did give her a gift. Maybe you should get her something better." Legolas opens his mouth to retort, then closes it abruptly. He considers the idea. "Something she can take with us on the quest, of course." Legolas gives Aragorn a skeptical gaze.

"Like what?"

"She seems to not be very good with wind instruments since she's been having such a difficult time with that penny whistle." Aragorn almost swears he hears Legolas growl at the mention of the instrument, "And she plays that stringed instrument she brought from home, you know, the one that looks like a lute? She plays it very well. Try something stringed. I know you love those kinds of instruments anyway." The Elf ponders this for a moment.

"Do you think they have violins where she's from?" Aragorn thinks.

"I thought I caught her staring at them at dinner last night."

_In yet another part of the House of Elrond…_

"I just don't see what I did wrong," Boromir confides in the master of the house. Elrond has not judged either the boy before him or the young woman he's grown to care for as a daughter, but has been trying to help him figure out where things went awry.

"Are you certain you've told me everything?" Boromir looks up from where he sits across Elrond's desk in the study, directly into the elder's gaze.

"I'm certain." Elrond thinks for a moment, and then sighs.

"Of all the races and creatures I have had dealings with in my lifetime, women are the most complex and most difficult to determine." He's quiet for another moment, "Boromir, you must consider the idea that she may have feelings for both you and Prince Legolas." Gandalf sits behind Boromir at the same window where Elrond had been looking at Frodo and Sam speaking just a few days prior.

"She is a young girl, Boromir." The wizard says, "It is not too uncommon for them to have difficulty in determining exactly what it is they want or need." Boromir smiles at Gandalf's words, "Go easy on her, she's not used to our customs yet. Don't forget, she's signed up for something that is far beyond anything she believes she's capable of ever doing, in a realm that is far beyond anything she's ever imagined. She's probably still a little nervous. For the time being, it may be best to simply let her sort herself out, and then come to you." The younger man sighs, nods, and then stands. He bows before Lord Elrond and Gandalf.

"Thank you, both. I will take your words to heart." He turns to leave.

"And Boromir," Elrond's voice calls, and the future Steward turns back at the door, "Resolve this before you set out. You cannot let this thing between the three of you be a distraction from helping Frodo." Boromir nods again, and then shuts the door as he steps out. Gandalf looks at Elrond, and snorts.

"Young people." The Elf grins.

**There it is. Hope you all laugh so hard you fall out of your chair.**

**Lyane - Hey, missed you when I put up the last chapter. :P Yeah, I know, I decided that since she was supposed to stay quiet so no one flipped out cuz she's a girl at the council, she'd keep her mouth shut. IKR? ALL PUPPY DOG LOOKS ARE EEEEVVVVIIIILLLLL. XD**  
><strong>No, she loves him. It's kind of a EdwardxJacobxBella triangle, if you're into Twilight at all. Jacob's Boromir, and Edward's Legolas. And I know I'm not writing Legolas very well, he's... peculiar. YES! They're jealousy will not be something to be trifled with! XD<strong>  
><strong>Thank you SO MUCH for noticing that! I sent it to TWO people before putting it up, and neither of them noticed that. _<strong>

**Lady Minuialwen - Thanks! =D**

**Song credits: "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5**

**Side note: My power supply for my laptop has died, and I've ordered a new one. It will be a week at the most before I can put up a new chapter. This will not prevent me from writing. When I get the new power supply, I'll put up one very large chapter that will hopefully span the 6 months they're in Rivendell, and then the one I put up after that will start with their leaving said Elvish city. Thank you for your patience while I work through these technical difficulties! =D**

**Review please! =D**


	9. Chapter 8

**w00t! Who managed to find an extra power supply long enough to type up an extra chapter and get it posted? That's right, ME! A few twists and turns in this chapter, including some explanations of what happens to Alice when she gets into a fight.**

**Thanks to all my viewers! The last two days I got over 400 views! =D**

Legolas examines the large chunk of an old tree trunk. Glorfindel stands behind his friend patiently, awaiting his determination. They're standing in the marketplace in Rivendell, looking for the materials Legolas is going to need to hand-craft a violin for Alice. There are many made here in Imladris, but Legolas wants to make one for her himself. Glorfindel was happy to join him, as he knew the marketplace better than the younger Mirkwood Elf. Finally, Legolas nods.

"This will do." It's a block of wood from one of the rarest kinds of tree in Rivendell, and it 'will do'. The irony of it strikes Glorfindel, and he laughs quietly before paying the merchant.

They've already bought the steel strings that will be needed from a merchant who normally sells steel weapons and tools, but will occasionally have leftovers that he turns into strings for musicians to use on their instruments. Now, Legolas has to actually forge the instrument. "_It's a good thing that he was raised around Woodland Elves,"_ Glorfindel thinks to himself, _"Because I do not know if there are very many in Imladris who know how to hand craft such things as violins."_

"Tell me again why we're buying parts for a violin, my friend?" The warrior says to the archer, having to jog a little bit to catch up with his fast-paced companion. Legolas doesn't make eye-contact.

"I want to make one, I told you." His attempt at lying is weak.

"Oh? Is that all?" Glorfindel gives him a pointed look. Legolas' shoulders sag, and he stops to turn and look at Glorfindel right in the face.

"I'm afraid I've fallen in love with a maiden here, and it seems I have some competition for her affections. She's a musician, and he already gave her a new instrument, so I thought I could make her one." He turns to continue walking as they head towards a horse seller that's known for helping violinists and archers repair or make new bows. "My Mother used to make violins and give them as gifts or sell them off. She taught me how to do it before she went over the sea, and I can still remember her instructions." Glorfindel looks at Legolas out of the sides of his eyes.

"Who is she?" Legolas sighs again.

"Alice, the mortal woman who came with Elessar and the Hobbits." Glorfindel literally stops in his tracks, and Legolas takes one more step before noticing that his friend is no longer beside him. "Is something wrong?" Glorfindel's eyes are wide.

"You do know that Boromir, son of Denethor, is vying for her affections as well, yes?" Legolas surprises him when he actually rolls his eyes.

"Have you heard nothing I've said? Yes! He is the man that gave her a new instrument, he is my competition. He gave her a small whistle which she carries with her all the time. I'm trying to give her a better gift." Glorfindel gives Legolas a sideways look.

"Does she know how you feel for her? Have you told her of your affections and intentions?" The Prince looks at the floor, and Glorfindel's eyes widen again. "You haven't?"

"I… I haven't told her, because I don't know what my intentions are. Glorfindel, have you seen the maiden?" He shrugs.

"She is a mortal, a talented mortal, even among Elves, but still just a mortal." Legolas' mouth actually falls open.

"Just a mortal? How can you say that! She is fairer than any Elf I have ever laid eyes on! Her voice is like the spirit of music, her body pure perfection, her eyes like the ocean on a cloudy day, her-"Glorfindel cuts him off.

"Alright, alright! I understand! By the Valar, Legolas, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were in love with this mor-…" Legolas shoots daggers at him with his eyes, "woman. You were in love with this woman." The elder Elf runs a hand through his hair, "I wish all the happiness in the world for you, Legolas, but aside from directing you in the direction of the horse seller, I'm afraid I can't help you any further now that I know the truth."

"What? Why?"

"Because I consider Boromir a friend and a good man, and I will not aid one friend to the other's determent. I'm sorry, Legolas." The Prince holds up a hand.

"I understand, thank you for what help you've rendered to me thus far." Glorfindel nods.

"The merchant you're looking for is that way," he holds up a hand and points, "I hope that your violin idea works. Will I see you back at Lord Elrond's home at dinner?" Legolas nods,

"Namárië, my friend."

_Later that day, in Elrond's house…_

Legolas strides confidently down the halls, a completed violin and violin bow in hand, looking for their intended. He had to receive aid from the musicians who live in the house to get it done in a single day, but he managed. One of them even tuned it for him.

When he arrives at Alice's door, he knocks twice and waits for a response. The door opens, and one of the maids answers the door. She recognizes him instantly, and curtsies.

"Good afternoon, Prince Legolas. What may I do for you?" She asks politely.

"I am looking for your mistress, Alice. Where might I find her?" She thinks for a moment.

"I believe she said she was meeting with the ranger, Aragorn, in her courtyard." He bows courteously, and thanks her before turning to leave.

He walks into the stone courtyard, and sees Alice circling with Aragorn, swords drawn. He glances to the right and sees Boromir sitting between Lord Elrond and Gandalf, smoking a pipe. He controls himself, resisting the urge to glare at the future Steward. He hides the violin behind a bush, and takes a seat away from everyone else. Alice doesn't notice his presence, or if she does, she makes no outward sign of it.

The tip of their swords rest down near the ground, touching each other gently, as the two circle around, waiting for the other to strike. Suddenly, Aragorn lunges, and Alice deflects it like it's nothing. He tries an overhand swing that leaves him vulnerable in several places that Legolas can see, but again, Alice just deflects it with her long sword. He tries a series of strikes, all of which Alice deflects off to the side, before suddenly giving her own long series of strikes and feints. Some are scarily close to their mark, and judging by Aragorn's expression, Legolas determines that this has not escaped him. Alice seems to, almost randomly, back off from her offensive maneuvers, and goes back to defense. The ranger notices, and waits a moment to see what she will do, and to catch his breath.

He takes a few steps over, circling again, and goes to wipe the sweat from his brow that gathered during her onslaught. The moment his eyes are off her form is when she strikes again. Startling the ranger, she gives yet another long series of strikes and feints, and several times nearly hits her mark. It is only Aragorn's experience that saves him from getting several new scratches on his body. When she backs off again, Isildur's heir puts his sword on the ground, and holds up his hands in surrender, to Legolas' deep shock. He almost stands to protest when he sees Alice's expression. She's clutching her eyes as though in pain, and then shakes her head a couple of times. She looks up, confused.

"What happened?" Aragorn chuckles, and puts his hands down.

"You nearly killed me that's what happened." Alice's eyes widen. "There were several times where you nearly landed a blow on me, and if you had gotten one, you would've gotten more. Enough of them, and you would have easily killed me." While Aragorn bends down to pick up Andúril, Boromir stands and draws his sword. The two heirs trade places. Lord Elrond nods.

"Again."

Boromir holds his sword up, pointing it directly at Alice. Suddenly, her focus is back, and Legolas sees the change this time. Gone is the woman he loves, and a mistress of death now stands before him. Her longsword comes up and runs along the edge of his broadsword as though to sharpen it and Legolas recognizes this as a mocking gesture. The Steward's blade flicks away from hers, in an attempt to slice open her chest, but her quick instincts and fast deflection allows him to only partially succeed. A piece of Alice's tunic slips open to expose her side and stomach to the cold November air, and a sliver of blood slides out. She does not react. It was strictly her blade that kept her from receiving more damage. Nervousness rises in Legolas' chest, as he imagines her getting hurt worse. Boromir also seems to realize this, and in the moment he hesitates is when she lashes out.

Her timing is almost perfect as she lands blow after blow on the older man's sword. Her wrist seems to be a flurry of motion, and she forces Boromir into a defensive position. It's almost as if she knows that this is not his strong point, that he's much better in the aggressive stance, and so takes advantage of his weakness. She does not give him opportunity to change tactics, forcing him to stay on the defensive, slowly wearing him down.

Just as suddenly that her attacks begun they were over, and she backs off. Legolas sees why, she has another small cut, this one on her wrist of her sword hand. His nervousness returns, but is quickly put aside in favor of shock as Alice simply switches sword hands as if it were nothing. Having watched many sword fights before, yet never having participated, it takes the Elf prince just a few seconds longer than it does Isildur's heir and the future Steward to notice her sudden change in tactics. Using her right hand, she could switch from offense to defense and barely blink an eye. Her left hand, however, was weaker, and because of this, she knew she had to switch to defense. Her only hope now is to wear Boromir down by simply deflecting all of his blows and conserving what little energy she has left.

He starts in, quickly placing several strikes, but they're more detrimental to him than beneficial, as she simply deflects them. She picks up a simple rhythm to match the one Boromir uses to systematically try and penetrate her defenses. Everyone can see that they are too evenly matched, even as she gives ground and backs towards Aragorn and the two elders. Just as Elrond is about to call a stalemate, she jumps up onto the edge of the fountain, and continues to fight Boromir from a foot above. Grunting, the Steward breaks rhythm to leap up and join the younger woman on the stone ring.

Aragorn surprises everyone when he suddenly stands, draws Andúril, and sneakily comes up to stand behind Alice on the fountain. However, his feet make a light 'clap' sound that sounds out of place with the sounds of the swords clanging off each other. When he goes to strike, Alice deflects a blow from Boromir and suddenly spins on her heel to deflect Aragorn's blow as well. Her rhythm stays the same; she simply ups the tempo and has to start spinning in between deflections. When she realizes that the new motion of having to go back and forth is quickly wearing on her and lowering her defense – as both men almost land a couple of blows – she changes tactics once more. She deflects a blow from Aragorn, brings up her sword in at an odd angle to hold Boromir's sword in place mid-swing, grabs the back of his neck, and pulls him to kiss him. It startles everyone, and Legolas feels his heart sink to his stomach. Not a second goes by when Alice again surprises everyone by bringing up her knee and slamming it into Boromir's stomach. As he doubles over in pain, she taps the back of his head with the pummel of her sword, and then swings back around to face Aragorn once more. This is all done with a cold, calculating efficiency that Legolas has never before seen, let alone in a woman.

Aragorn, still surprised by what she did with Boromir, is quickly vanquished, as he is again startled by the fury of Alice's attacks. She almost effortlessly sends Andúril flying across the fountain, and it lands in the water on the other side. She brings up her blade, one which Legolas has never seen before, not even in likeness, to Aragorn's neck.

"Do you yield?" She says in a voice which Legolas has never heard her use before.

"Yes." Aragorn replies, and suddenly her sword clatters to the ground. Alice clutches her eyes again, shakes her head, and then looks back at Aragorn with yet another confused stare.

"I thought I was fighting Boromir?" She suddenly notices Legolas' presence for the first time, and smiles.

"Well, you were, but I thought maybe our combined power could overwhelm you. I was wrong. It simply forced you into the unorthodox." She peels her gaze from matching the Elf Prince's to go back to the ranger's. She looks curious.

"What do you mean by 'unorthodox'?" Legolas can almost see him grinning without even having to look.

"After you deflected one of my swings, you used unprecedented strength to hold off one of Boromir's strokes… and then you kissed him." Hope springs into his chest as he sees Alice blush and avoid making eye contact with the mortal sitting by Gandalf. "By the way, what sword is that you're using?"

"It is the blade of Fingolfin, son of Finwë, called Ringil, Cold-Spark in the Common tongue." Lord Elrond says, and Boromir turns to ask a question.

"Fingolfin, that's the one that's inside of her, right?" Elrond nods, and Legolas gets a bewildered look.

"What do you mean 'inside' of her?" Alice turns to him with that smirk that makes his heart pound.

"Apparently, the Valar thought it would be a good idea to gift me with some way to defend myself. But when they remembered that it takes like, half a lifetime to learn swordplay, and I've got six months, they decided to just imbue me with the spirit of an ancient warrior. I can hear him talking to me sometimes, but we agreed to not speak to each other unless we felt that it was important, since it's kind of weird." She pauses, and then turns to Lord Elrond, "Fingolfin thanks you for the use of his sword again. He says it feels good to have it back in a hand that he can use, even though the hand itself is unfamiliar to him." The last part is said with a giggle that is so Alice, Legolas cannot help but smile.

"Well," Aragorn says, "If it is truly Ringil that explains why it was so cold against my neck." Boromir looks up curiously.

"I am not as familiar with the legends surrounding Ringil, why is it cold?" Alice chuckles, and Legolas hurts inside to know that it is a laugh not for him, but for another man.

"'Ringil' means Cold-Spark, or Cold-Star, like Lord Elrond said. It bites with a chilling cold, and it glitters like ice in pale light." She tries to pick it up, but finds it heavy for her small frame, and Aragorn takes it from her.

"I think that's enough practice for today, Alice." Lord Elrond says as she jumps down from the fountain, and she curtsies as he, Gandalf, and Aragorn get up and leave. She watches Boromir for a moment, who stands away from her awkwardly, and she seems torn between who to go to. Legolas clears his throat.

"I was hoping to have a moment to speak to you, Alice." He glares at Boromir, "In private." A horror-stricken look crosses her face as she sees the glare and who it's directed at. In modern days, this would be dubbed a, 'oh shit' expression. She turns to shoot a look at Boromir that Legolas can't see, and then turns back around and smiles at the Elf. She skips over to him.

"And what might I do for you, today?" He smiles, happy to see the woman who has so utterly stolen his heart. He glances over her shoulder, and sees Boromir walking away, long since out of ear-shot.

"I made you something." The smile drops off her features, and wonder takes its place.

"You did? Really?" Her smile returns in eager anticipation as Legolas quickly goes and fetches the violin from its hiding. Her hands clap over her mouth, her fingers covering her nose. "NO WAY!" She shouts, sheer excitement taking over. "You made me a violin?" Legolas nods, and then almost shyly looks away.

"Look on the bottom." She looks up at him curiously, and then flips the violin over before looking back now. Fingolfin is the reason why Alice is capable of reading in Elvish. His mind coupled with hers translates Elvish to French so that she can understand it, or French to Elvish when she tries to speak it out loud. He translates the Elvish script for her effortlessly.

"_For my love, my life, my all_

_This gift I present, may its music fill the halls_

_As you have filled my heart and mind_

_To you, my own soul I have resigned_

_This violin I have made with my own hands,_

_Its equal may not be found in all the lands."_

Underneath that are a few symbols that Fingolfin quietly tells her means that it is from Legolas. A couple of tears escape from Alice's eyes as she reads the inscription over and over. It's a bit clumsy for poetry, but she could tell it was rushed. The tall, blonde Elf reaches up and wipes her tears away.

"Can you play it?" Without a word, Alice flips the violin back over, and begins to play the only song she can remember. "Rolling in the Deep" comes to her with little effort. The parts she doesn't remember she simply improvises, knowing Legolas won't know the difference.

It dawns on the Elf prince that no one else is there. This combination of a sad and angry medley the beautiful woman before him is playing is for his pointed ears, and his alone. To top it all off, she's playing it on the violin he gave her. The moment becomes that much more special to him.

Too soon, the song is finished, and more tears have trailed down Alice's cheeks. He reaches up, wipes them away, and she lets out a small laugh.

"Sorry, I don't usually cry this much." His loving gesture of taking away her tears turns into gently cupping her face, and she leans into his touch. He takes the violin from her, and sets it down on the bench he'd sat on earlier.

"A'maelamin, amin naa tualle. N'dela no'ta." He takes a moment to take in all of her as she simply stares into his eyes, the tears of simple joy still brimming in her eyes, "Vanimle sila tiri." He compliments gently, and she looks away, a light pink tinting her cheeks. (My beloved, I am your servant. Don't worry about it. Your beauty shines bright.)

'Thank you." She mumbles softly.

An urge to kiss her overwhelms the Elf, coming on so strong he's not sure how to combat it. A thought crosses his mind, why should he? His hand deftly moves away from her cheek to hold up her chin, and as he looks down in her eyes, he sees a torrent of emotions he cannot explain. His urge overrides all thought, and his lips gently brush hers.

Alice's mind reels, and she feels as though every vein in her body is on fire as Legolas softly kisses her. Her body moves of its own accord, though she can feel Fingolfin's mild curiosity in the back of her mind, and she kisses Legolas back. His free hand wraps around her waist, and she can feel his body pressing against hers with a softness she's never experienced before. She is so accustomed to being manhandled and roughly treated, that his gentle care brings more tears to her eyes even as her left hand runs through his blonde locks. Her right hand also snakes up, and she pulls back her left to hold his face like glass, afraid of shattering the moment.

The need for air forces them to pull back. Alice suppresses her body's need for more, and smiles up at a smirking Legolas.

"What was that for?" He leans in presses their foreheads together, and wraps his arms around her waist.

"For stealing my heart." She wraps her arms around his neck, and lets him hold her for a minute. Then she sighs.

"I have to go." He nods, and releases her. He picks the violin back up and gives it to her once more.

"When shall I see you again?" He calls as she walks away. She turns back around with a smirk that is almost sexy.

"My maids leave at 11, and there's an old tree by my balcony that has branches that literally hang over the edge of it. Surprise me."

_Later…_

Alice slams the door to her room shut, anger seeping out of every pore of her skin. Her maids have already left for the day, and she's alone. She paces back and forth across the floor.

"_How could you? How could you do that?"  
><em>_**"Do what?"**_ Fingolfin asks, with almost an attitude.  
><em>"You know exactly what! How could you kiss him? Who do you think you are?"<br>__**"I think that I'm your protector. Also, if I may point out, it was your idea!"  
><strong>__"How the __hell was that my idea?"  
><em>_**"You wanted to do it, and don't say you didn't. Just yesterday, out in the garden, remember?"**_ Fingolfin throws the memory in her face so abruptly that she almost thinks she back in that moment. _**"I've been thinking about that moment, wondering why you ran instead of just kissing him like you wanted to, so I gifted you with the kiss you wanted."**_ Alice balks.  
><em>"You 'gifted' me with his kiss? Who the hell do you think you are? You kissed him! None of that was me. Maybe it was my urge, maybe I'd even thought that it would be a good distraction during the battle-"<br>__**"Which you did."  
><strong>__"But that doesn't excuse the fact that I wasn't in control! You, my dearest, kissed him, not me."_ Alice sits down angrily on her bed. _"I never realized you were gay."_ Fingolfin knows how she means that, and is instantly offended.  
><em><strong>"Are you calling me a homosexual?"<br>**__"No shit, Sherlock."_ She snorts.  
><em><strong>"That was the most unlady-like think I've ever seen you do, and you've done some things that have honestly lowered my thinking of you. You're a strong, independent woman, but you need to learn how to control your attitude!"<strong>_ They sigh at the same time, both of them frustrated. _**"Listen, if we're going to get out of this alive, we need to learn how to work together. Maybe it was wrong of me to kiss him, but I was trying to win a losing battle and make you happy at the same time. I'm sorry for stepping out of line. I won't do that again. From now on, all the romance we have will be strictly on your side. Is that agreeable?"**_ Alice sighs again.  
><em>"Yeah, I guess that's okay. I'll try not to snap at you anymore. If I can trust Lord Elrond and Gandalf as easily as I do, I should learn how to trust your judgment as well."<em> He nods.  
><em><strong>"Good. Now pick up your violin, I'm going to teach you some songs that fit better with this realm than your so-called 'pop' music."<strong>_

**Poor Alice. Now she's crazy. Lol.**

**Lyane - Looks like you don't have to wait a week, I've got one up! I'm glad I made you laugh, haha. I channeled all of my funny into that chapter. XD**

**Lady Minnie (I'm gonna start calling you that now, cuz it's too hard to spell out your name XD) - Lol, Ikr? XD**

**Review please, and don't forget to tell all your friends how awesome this story is!**


	10. Chapter 9

**I would like to apologize for the shortness of this chapter. I was very busy today, and I'm going to be gone like, half the night tonight, so I just decided to put up what I have before I have to leave. BUT! To make up for it, next chapter will have a HUGE fight between Legolas and Boromir, and we will *finally* get to see the Fellowship leave Rivendell.**

**My eternal gratitude to my best friend evar, Umbreon666, who has been doubling as my beta reader. Couldn't have made it this far w/out you, chica!****For those of you who are into Kingdom Hearts and yaoi, go read her AMAZING fanfiction, "He Will Be Loved". It's amazing.**

**I put up my Skype name on my profile, so if anyone would like to add me, go ahead, but put a little note saying that you saw it from AIME and I'll add you. =D**

**One last thing, if anyone would like to do artwork for my story, I would SO love to see it! If I'm sent any, I'll be sure to link it on my profile. If there's any particular scene you'd like to draw but want a full description, just pop me a PM and I'll write one up for you. =)**

**Thanks again to all of my readers, I'm just a bit shy of 1,000 views! =D**

**Disclaimer: I own only Alice, rest of this crap belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson (thank the Lord for that, because I would have NEVER done as fantastic a job with either the books or the movies if it belonged to me XD)**

Legolas knocks on Aragorn's door several times with his fist, hoping Estel is in. When the ranger opens the door, his hair is soaking wet from having just bathed, and he's only wearing his trousers, but Legolas pays no heed to this as he barges into the room.

"Well hello to you, too." Aragorn muses quietly to himself, not bothering to not be heard by the Elf prince.

"Sorry, but you will never believe what just happened!" Legolas says, his excitement rolling off him in waves. The mortal turns and his face deadpans.

"Alice accepted to be your bride?"

"No!" The Prince says, before pausing to actually think about what his friend said to him,

"Though that would be… stupendous. No, no, no, she kissed me!" Aragorn actually stops in the midst of drying his hair to openly stare at Legolas.

"Have you gone mad? After what she did to Boromir, she kissed you? Are you sure you didn't dream that?" The Elf suddenly looks uncomfortable.

"Well, really, I kissed her first, but she kissed me back without any hesitation! By the Valar, Aragorn, it was amazing." The ranger smiles at Legolas.

"Then I'm happy for you. I guess that means you've won her?" His immortal friend sighs.

"I don't know. Just because she kissed me with her lips does not mean that she kissed me with her heart. It may still as much belong to me as it does Boromir." He suddenly remembers something, "Oh! She also invited me to her bedchambers this evening."

You can imagine the look Aragorn gives him for mentioning this _last._

_Later…_

"_**So, remind me again what the plan is."**_  
><em>"To wing it."<br>__**"… Rrriiight. And has this worked before?"  
><strong>__"…"  
><em>_**"Thought not. Good luck."**_

Alice sighs and runs a hand through her hair, as Fingolfin retreats into the recesses of her mind to 'sleep'. If she's being honest with herself, the scared little girl that resides deep down inside is now rearing its ugly head. Her hands are almost shaking as she picks up her hairbrush and brushes her hair for the third time. She knows why she's invited him. _"Never thought it would be so hard."_

She's wearing a beautiful navy blue gown that Arwen gave her. She asked specifically for this one just for tonight. When she told the she-Elf why, she almost forced her to take it. The memory makes Alice smile.

Suddenly, there's a knock at Alice's balcony door. It's midnight. It has to be Legolas. She takes a deep breath, and then walks determinedly over to the door. When she opens it, there stands her charming Elf Prince, who quickly glides into the room. She shuts the door, and when she turns around, he grabs her by the elbows and gives her a quick kiss.

"Nae saian luume', lle naa vanima." He whispers gently to her, and Fingolfin sends up a translation. She smiles, but doesn't say anything, and instead turns and walks further into her room, wringing her hands. She can feel his confused stare boring into her back. "Mani naa ta?" (It has been too long, you look beautiful. What is it?)

"Legolas, sit down." She says as she stands by the bed, and he sits down on it. She swallows. "I… I have something I need to confess." She bites her lower lip in trepidation. "But first, do you love me?"

"What?" He looks at her, confused.

"Say it. In Eng-I mean, Common." The seriousness of her expression tells him to not joke around. He takes her hands and looks right up into her eyes.

"I love you, Alice. More than life itself." She instantly relaxes. "What is it, melamin?" (my love)

"You love me, and because of this, I feel you deserve to know… that…" she takes another deep breath, "I love you, too." His heart leaps into his throat, and when he stands and leans in to kiss her, she puts her fingers up to his lips to stop him, "But," and his stomach seems to fall out, "I also love Boromir." He looks away, obviously upset. "It's unfair, I know. I'm sorry, I wish it weren't true. I wish I could love one of you and devout myself entirely to you. But… I can't. I'm so torn; I'm literally at constant war with myself." He hadn't actually stopped yet to consider what this must be doing to Alice. He had only focused on crushing Boromir's attempt to woo her and successfully doing it himself. He realizes that her words are true, because who, in their right mind, would love two people at once?

"And… if you didn't love him, if you only loved me…"

"You would be here anyway, because there's something else I feel you need to know. How much do you know about my past?" He gulps, and remembers what Gandalf and Lord Elrond had told him, Gimli, and Boromir after the Council.

"Enough." She looks surprised.

"You know about my prostitution?" He looks back at her for the first time since he looked away, amazed at his ability to keep his eyes off her for so long, and gives her a sad smile.

"I know that it was not by your own choice, melamin." She breathes a sigh of relief.

"Then you understand why being in a relationship with you or even with Boromir… the idea of it alone scares me. I've never… never experienced love before." She looks up at him with wide eyes that make his ancient heart break, "I'm scared, Legolas. Terrified, even." He wraps his arms around her waist a little awkwardly, not used to having to comfort someone. She quickly latches onto him like a lifeline, and the tears fall silently. "I'm so used to seduction; I don't know how to have romance." She says with a bitter laugh. He gives her a chaste kiss on her hair.

"You're not the only one, melamin. I have never felt what I feel for you before in all my 2,500 years of life."

_The next morning…_

Legolas gently runs a finger down Alice's face, watching her sleep. He stayed the night, afraid to leave her alone even though with the spirit of Fingolfin inside of her, she could beat him easily in a sword fight. He took off his shirt sometime in the middle of the night, and she seemed to appreciate it as within an hour he found himself being used as a pillow. He quickly abandons the memories as she slowly stirs.

"Mmm, what time is it?" She mumbles, not used to getting to sleep in so late.

"About 10 o'clock, I think." He says, and she literally leaps away from him. He finally gets to sit up, having been lying perfectly still for several hours so she could rest. She sees his shirtless chest, looks down and sees herself in her blue dress, and sighs with relief.

"For a minute there, I thought you and I had…" she trails off, before shaking off the thought, "Anyway, why are you still here?"

"I was afraid to leave you alone, so I stayed the night." Fear forces her eyes to open wide.

"What if someone catches us? Things will be presumed, and-"he shushes her.

"No one will catch us, I explained to the maids what happened, showed them you were still in your dress, and they said that you were sick in the night and would be sleeping in this morning. Everyone's staying far away so they don't get sick, too." She sighs in relief, and grins at him.

"You know what?" She asks, still smiling, and he smiles back.

"What?" He asks in the same playful tone she just used.

"I could get used to this. Waking up in Rivendell every morning to you underneath me." Though Legolas doesn't catch it, how incredibly dirty that sounded crosses Alice's thoughts, and Fingolfin makes retching sounds in the back of her mind. She mentally slaps him and tells him to shut up, saying he had his chance, now it was her turn. He grumbles, but recedes into the back of her mind again. "Ugh, Arwen is going to kill me for sleeping in her dress." She says as she nonchalantly pulls it over her head.

Her stares at her half-naked form openly. He didn't know she had been… prepared. Underneath the dress, she wore a very tight corset that has laces up the front that tie into a bow near her breasts. The large necklace she wore has one lower diamond that Legolas hadn't seen before that fell underneath her dress. She wears a black garter belt with stockings that show way more than Legolas has ever actually seen before. Certainly, he knew from studying in books, but he'd never actually seen...

"See something you like?" His ears turn deep red as he realizes that not only has Alice noticed his staring, but has actually posed for him against her closet. Her right hand comes across her chest, holding onto the side of the closet as her left elbow leans against door above her head. Her left hand runs playfully through her hair. Her right leg is hiked up, her knee pressing against the corner of the closet. He clears his throat as he suddenly notices that his pants are tighter this morning than they were last night.

"Um… will you excuse me? I should uhm…" He gets up and starts to walk towards her door to leave.

"Legolas," she calls, and he stops mid-stride, but does not turn, "the balcony." She says, using her head to indicate in that direction. "I'm 'sick', remember? It'd be suspicious for you to leave my room from out my door when no one saw you enter." She smiles as he turns around and stares at the floor as he has to now walk past her. She doesn't move out of his way at all, and her smile broadens when he shudders from brushing up against her arm. She hears Fingolfin snort in the back of her mind after they hear Legolas almost clumsily climb down the tree.  
><em><strong>"Virgins."<strong>_ She laughs.

Alice gives the maids the day off, and spends the entire day locked inside her room. Fingolfin thinks that it's time she get back into shape, as it's hard for him to fight in her weak body. He goes through her memories to find that she was on the cheerleading squad (cheering for their football team) and on the swim team. He forces her to resume the routine she used to do to stay in shape during the off-season. Most of it comes back to her, but it takes her the entire day to remember everything.

When she goes to sleep that evening, Fingolfin wakes up and tells the maids that 'she' wishes to be alone for the rest of the week, and to ask that no one come and disturb 'her'. The maids go and tell everyone that Alice is still sick, and will most likely be sick for the whole week. Arwen starts stopping by once a day to bring her food first thing in the morning, trying to make sure she at least eats between her working out routine. Fingolfin instructs Arwen to only bring meats and vegetables, as anything with sugars will make Alice actually sick. It doesn't take long for Alice to start wishing that Fingolfin was a real person so she could throw the disgusting food he's force-feeding her at every meal at his face.

When the week is up, Alice isn't back into total shape, but Fingolfin is willing to restrict the routine to just mornings so she can have a normal life again during the afternoon and evening. She falls into an easy routine of waking up, having breakfast, working out in the morning, having lunch with Gimli (for her Dwarfish lessons), studying all afternoon, having dinner with the Hobbits in Bilbo's small cottage in Rivendell, and then spending every evening practicing her guitar, violin, and whistle. She sees Legolas and Boromir in passing, and occasionally at lunch, but she doesn't speak to them or them to her. Both men blush whenever she enters the room, and quickly find an excuse, Legolas especially.

Six long, painful, arduous months go by like this.

It's the week before they leave, and Alice is again, studying up in her tree. It's the first day in two weeks where it hasn't been pouring sheets and sheets of rain, and she has every intention of taking advantage of the warm(er) day. She doesn't as much read the book on Finwë, the ghost in her head's father, as much as let him read it to her. It talks more about what Finwë did than what he was like, so Fingolfin adds a little flare to the book by talking about (when appropriate) his father's personality and character. Suddenly, he stops talking.  
><em>"What is it?"<br>__**"Someone approaches."**_

"You there!" A familiar voice calls, and she looks down to see Boromir standing exactly where he had been six months prior, smiling up at her, "Are you Alice?" She chuckles.

"What's it to ya?" She calls back down, changing how their conversation went.

"I've been told it's my destiny to fall in love with a beautiful, charming young woman named 'Alice', but that I must seek her out as her heart may already have been stolen by an older, nobler man." She puts in her bookmark as he talks, smiling through it and feeling her heart thud against her ribcage.

"Well, then I must not be the woman you're seeking, for my heart has yet to be claimed." He smiles, but looks down at his feet for a moment. Then he looks back up at her.

"I… I came to apologize. I shouldn't have acted so rashly. I didn't consider that Legolas…" Alice's breath gets caught up in her chest, and she looks away for a moment. She then looks back down at him.

"Get up here." She says, using her head to indicate to the branch next to her. He climbs up the tree, and compared to the last time, it's better.

"_**Someone's been practicing."  
><strong>__"Shut up."_

She turns on the branch, and sits so she can face Boromir with her legs dangling. He assumes the same posture, and she reaches across and takes his hands in her own. She momentarily admires them, realizing how much bigger they are than her own two slender ones.

"Your hands are rough." He mumbles quietly. She chuckles.

"Yeah, comes from pressing them into steel strings all the time." He chuckles too, before opening his mouth to apologize again, but she reaches up and puts two fingers to his lips,

"Boromir…" she sighs, "I should've told you this months ago, but to be honest, I've been too afraid to confront you. I…" she musters her courage, "I love you." She says, looking right into his eyes. They widen considerably.

"I love you, too." He whispers to her.

"But, I love Legolas, too." The crushed expression on his face makes her want to cry. "I'm sorry, Boromir, I'm so sorry."

"I," he clears his throat, looking away, "I thought you said your heart hasn't been claimed." She holds up her left hand.

"No ring, no claim. I'm not married. But, you two both stole my heart. What happens when two people pull on the same thing in opposite directions?" He thinks of a game of tug-of-war with a weak rope.

"It breaks." He, again, mumbles quietly. She nods.

"It breaks my heart to know that I cannot love either of you totally and devout myself utterly to just one of you. I've been trying to figure out a way to tell you, but… I couldn't. I couldn't stand the idea of hurting you. And I didn't want to hurt you later by leading you on and then getting caught with Legolas by you." A few tears slip out, "I'm sorry, Boromir, I'm so sorry…" she mumbles over and over. Even though his heart is broken and strengthened by this, he reaches across the tree to pick up the small woman and sit her on his branch. He wraps his arms around her and gently caresses her, wishing with all his strength that he could take away her pain.

**Two love confessions in one chapter! Lol, I'm so cheesy. Oh well, at least I figured out a way to get us up to April in a speedy yet sensible manner.**

**Thank you to aandm20, Lady Minuialwen, Gwilwillith, and LUNA GURLZ for adding AIME to their favorites list! You guys spread the word! =D**

**LUNA GURLZ - Thank you so much! And yes, really, a guy inside a female, lol. How many swordswomen do you know of from LOTR? One. And she's still alive at this point, lol.**

**Lyane - Wow, very good, did you look him up to find all that out or did you already know? LOL, no, she's not gonna die... yet. XD  
>Fingolfin's hilarious. He's going to be the comic relief Alice needs.<br>LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL, THAT just made my day! XD**

**Gwilwillith - Thank you so much! Yeah, I don't know what I would do if I had some voice trying to boss me around all the time, lol.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Wow, shorter than I thought it was going to be... Weird. Oh well. It still has everything I promised, and a bit more.**

**Quick note: Next Friday, on the 29th, I'm leaving on vacation for 2 weeks. I'll probably still write while I'm gone, but as I'm going to the mountains where there will be no internet, I won't be able to put anything up. Starting this Monday, however, since I'm being asked to do more and more things around the house to help get ready to go, I'm going to either slow down my pace of putting up 1 chapter a day to putting up a chapter every couple of days, or stop writing in favor of being able to get my stuff done. Trying to work and get a chapter written has been too stressful, and I don't feel like my quality is as good as it should be, so in favor of being able to write better quality chapters, I'm going to not stress myself out and stop until I get back. Once I do, though, I will quickly resume my old pace. Thank you so much for understanding! =D**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the Lord of the Rings people, places, or things. I only own Alice.**

* * *

><p>Boromir stalks down the halls of the House of Elrond, searching for one Prince of Mirkwood. He doesn't stop for anyone or anything, his anger brewing beneath the surface, not allowing him to focus on anything except it and who it is directed at. He's in what his inferiors in the ranks of the Guard of Gondor call his "hunt mode". Normally, when around nobles, he would <span>never<span> act like this. However, after last night's infuriating proceedings, he feels he ought to be cut some slack.

_The night before…_

_Boromir walks into the dining hall cheerfully, a tune he's heard Alice play stuck in his head. He hasn't seen too much of the woman he wrote home to Faramir about, addressing her as simply __the__ woman, having never paid too much attention to women before now._

_He knows, however, that lately she has been spending a great deal of time with the Halflings, having become increasingly fond of them, Sam in particular, becoming close friends with the gardener. Nearly everyone in Rivendell found it very enduring how she would ask them all kinds of questions about the Shire, its customs, and traditions. Most people would avoid asking the Hobbits such questions, as they had quite a tendency to talk for hours upon hours about such subjects, oftentimes getting off subject and continuing to talk and expecting you to keep up. She however, tries very hard to keep up, and ask questions about whatever they just said in the pauses between sentences before they have a chance to continue rambling._

_What Boromir is unaware of, however, is that Bilbo fell ill that morning, and told the four younger Hobbits and Alice to not come to his house that evening for supper, as he didn't want them catching what he had before they left. Because of this, the future Steward of Gondor is rather surprised when he sees Gandalf sitting on Elrond's left and Frodo on his right, instead of Gandalf sitting on the right and Aragorn sitting on the left. His blood suddenly freezes in his veins as his eyes travel down the table._

_In Elvish tradition, the people with the highest honors sit closest to the head of the table, so seats are often assigned instead of chosen. The highest honor is on the hosts' right, then left, then right again, going all the way down the table in such a manner. However, with the four Hobbits often insisting to sit next to each other as this is custom is not practiced in the Shire, the system is a bit goofed up. On Elrond's right, in the place of highest prominence, is Frodo, which is as it should be, seeing as he is the Ringbearer, and the one chosen to save Middle Earth. On Elrond's left is Gandalf, again, as it should be. On Frodo's right, however, is Sam, Merry, and Pippin, one of Elrond's twin sons, and an empty seat. On Gandalf's left, however, is Aragorn, Elrond's other twin son (he can never tell them apart, so he doesn't try), Legolas, and… Alice. On her other side is the Dwarf, Gimli, who teaches her, at times, about Dwarfish customs._

_He can feel his blood turn from ice to fire in an instant as the Elf prince leans over and whispers something in __her__ ear (often referring to her as __the__ woman, specifically putting emphasis on her sex in his mind, as she is the only one of her sex in his eyes), and __she__ laughs at whatever his joke is. Pippin, hearing Alice laugh, asks __her__ about the joke, but __she__ waves him off, not wanting to explain for reasons that escape both the Halfling and the man of Gondor._

_Finally, Elrond's hard stare at Boromir catches his attention, and when he looks at the Elf Lord, the wiser man shifts his glance to the empty chair, and then back to the mortal. Accepting his duty, and not wishing to offend the Lord of the House, he takes his chair, and endures in silent suffering, how Alice flirts with the Elf Prince, and never notices the small smiles she sends his way._

Recalling Alice's normal routine, she should be locked away inside Lord Elrond's study, away from everyone else so she can focus. From what he understands, she is studying the history of Mirkwood, trying to discern at what point was the kingdom that resides in the dark forest was started. This, for reasons that escape Boromir, rubs him the wrong way, and now he is going to confront his competitor to put the competition to an end once and for all.

It takes a while, but he finally finds him, standing with Aragorn, Gandalf, and Lord Elrond, discussing the creature Gollum. The door opens silently, and spotting the Elf Prince, he strides across the room, grabs his arm, and spins him around. Normally, he wouldn't pick a fight in front of others, but honestly, he cares nothing for the opinions or thoughts of a mere ranger, regardless of his heritage, and he knows that Gandalf and Elrond already know about what's going on.

"Who do you think you are, you self-centered prick? You're an Elf, for Ilúvatar's sake! You live for thousands of years and age at the pace of a snail! Do you think she likes the idea of dying hundreds, if not thousands of years before you do?" It takes Legolas all of 2 seconds to figure out who Boromir's talking about. Hurt by his statement, and yet enraged, he immediately starts shouting back, letting his testosterone override his better judgment.

"I think I am a Prince, whereas you're just a Steward! Not even royalty. I can give her everything she's ever wanted and more, what could you possibly give her? Inside the depths of Mirkwood, she would never have to fear any threat, whereas Minas Tirith is under constant attack from the forces of Mordor! How many times a year do you leave to go to war?" Neither of them notices the door slowly slide open from where it shut minutes ago. Boromir steps closer to Legolas, who glares harshly back.

"Stay. Away. From. My. Woman." Boromir says through gritted teeth, and Aragorn almost slaps himself in the face, having just seen the next person to enter the room.

"Excuse me, bitches?" Both of them freeze, their eyes widening at the sound of Alice's voice coming from the door. They turn slowly in a way that would have made her laugh if she wasn't so furious. She strides forward, and points a finger at Legolas that goes back and forth between him and Boromir as she talks. "Now, listen here, you masochistic, self-righteous, spoiled princesses! I have had just about e-fucking-nough of your attitudes! Were you two raised in barns? I have met men of the Paleolithic age with more manners than you two! Will you please stop this ridiculous fighting over me? I'm not worth it, and most importantly, I'm not worth ruining the Fellowship over! Frodo needs you much more than I do, Middle fucking Earth needs you more than I do! Stop fighting each other and get your acts together! My god, I thought you guys were supposed to be mature, brave men? All I've seen evidence of is two jealous, spoiled, bratty children!" She pokes Boromir in the chest, "You will behave," she turns and pokes Legolas, "man up," puts her hand down, "and leave me the hell alone!"

With that, she spins on her heel, and walks out of the room briskly, leaving five very shocked, confused, and kind of scared men behind.

"_**You go, girl!"**_

_Later…_

Alice is laying face-down on her pillows, her pretty grey dress ruffled, and her face streaked with tears. The tears were more tears of anger than sadness, as the overdrive of emotions had to find some kind of outlet. Fingolfin's been oddly quiet, deciding it would be best to simply leave the hormonal woman alone for the time being. A knock sounds quietly at the door, and Arwen slips in. Seeing her friend in the position she's in, she again, lays down by her side. Alice notices her presence, but says nothing. The two lay there, in silence for several minutes.

"So, I heard there was an explosion in one of my Father's personal rooms." The mortal woman's shoulders roll as she laughs.

"An 'explosion' would be putting it mildly." The pillows make her sound like she's mumbling, but Arwen understands what she says. Alice turns her head so she can peek out with one eye, and smiles at Arwen's grin. She props herself up on her elbows, and doesn't make eye contact again as she speaks, "I don't even really remember what happened. I was just so mad, I think all mental functions ceased," _**"Except for me,"**_ "and my brain kinda just took over." The she-Elf smiles.

"Well, honestly, I'm proud of you." Alice looks at her sharply.

"Really?"

"Mhm. You were very brave to stand up to them like that. I wouldn't have had the strength to do it." The mortal smiles coyly.

"Not that there would have been a fight to begin with, because your love would have just knocked him flat on his ass." Arwen blushes, and looks away.

"How do you know about that, anyway?" She asks, avoiding eye contact, and Alice shrugs.

"It's common knowledge where I come from, remember?"

"Oh." There's silence for a few more minutes. "Want to go get some sweets?"

"Oh god, yes."

"_**I want some!"**_

Three slow days go by as Fingolfin pushes Alice to the limits of her ability and beyond, trying to get her stamina up to peak potential. At times he is rash and angry, seemingly mad that she can't do better, and at others, he is gentle, encouraging her in a loving way like a parent does to their child.

She stops attending dinner and lunch with everyone else, asking instead that one of the maids bring her food so she doesn't have to come out. Her body reeks, as she has been literally sweating all day, and she doesn't want to be around anyone while she's filthy like that until absolutely necessary.

The morning of the fourth day, the day they're scheduled to set out for Mordor, she's standing in front of her full-length mirror, her right arm pulled across her neck so she can look at the underside.

"_Hmm, never had so much tone there, before."  
><em>_**"You didn't notice, but that's actually been there a while. It comes from all those push-ups I've been having you do. Congratulations, you can now hold Ringil without much effort."**_ She grins widely at her reflection, and an image of a tall, blonde Elf comes unbidden standing behind her on her right side in the reflection. His hands rest on her shoulders, and she can almost feel the presence there. _**"You've never seen what I look like, so there I am."**_ She smiles.  
><em>"You look cute."<em> She hears him scoff, but can feel the blush rising on her cheeks from his embarrassment.  
><em><strong>"'Cute'? 'Cute'? That's all I get? I'm more handsome than that Prince you like so much."<strong>_ There's a pause, _**"Thank you. You look lovely."**_ The image disappears, and Alice is alone again.

She's changed. Changed a lot, actually. She looks older now than she did before, with all of this new muscle she's gained. Her once short brown hair now touches the tops of her shoulder blades. She's put on some weight, but again, that's mostly from the muscle, no actual fat. But she's still as petite as ever. Her brown vest pulls her black tunic in close to her chest, accentuating her breasts. Her green leggings stop half way down her calf. Her brown belt holds Ringil and a dagger, one on each side, and her brown knee-high boots… well, look hideous, but Alice has thought that since they day they forced her into them six months ago. She wears a cloak over all this that Aragorn gave her as a gift, and says that it was once worn by a great ranger. Arwen told her later that sometimes, strong women are allowed to be rangers, and that the cloak was worn by Aragorn's mother. She pulls up the hood, and is shocked by the difference between the woman who stands in the mirror to the woman who arrived in Bree in stiletto's all those months ago, months that feel like years.

Next comes the decision of how to fit all of her things into her pack. Her maids gave her some womanly essentials, some cloths that would easily wash out for her 'time of the month', which she knows is due anytime, and some hair and body wash. These go in first, in case one of the other members of the Fellowship (for whatever reason) goes digging through her pack, they wouldn't see the more private things laying on top. Next, an extra pair of clothes. She had never been more grateful than now for the invention of a bra. While in Rivendell, having to wear dresses all the time, she elected to wear her corset (even though it was painful). Elrond had her other-worldly clothes washed, and she now had a clean-to-the-utmost bra to take with her. She almost cheered. She manages to slip her penny whistle in with these, and now has to figure out what else to put in. She fits in an extra pair of easily folding up boots, figuring she may want them in case the one's she has now wears out. She pulls out a dress from her closet and uses it to wrap up her violin and it's bow, allowing both things to now go in. Fingolfin praises her ingeniousness. Finishing this task, she slings the bag over her shoulder and heads down to a hall where Lord Elrond greets her.

"Who is this ranger that approaches? It is not Aragorn, son of Arathorn, as he is here with us already." Elrond says as Alice approaches from down a hall. She smiles and rolls her eyes, though no can see it. Everyone knows Elrond is simply teasing. He holds out his hands and clamps them onto her shoulders, making her very much aware of their height difference. "You have changed greatly, Lady Alice, since the day you arrived here in my House with a deep gash on your head." Her smile widens, but she does not break eye contact like her body wants her to. Fingolfin aids her in keeping her eyes still. "I have come to love you as my own daughter, with your inquisitive mind and intelligent wit. I hope that you may return unto me someday." He pulls her hood down, and then kisses her forehead. "Listen to Gandalf's instruction as you have listened to mine. He has agreed to keep teaching you as I have, even though I know that you have been receiving some instruction from him already." He looks at her gravely, and then sighs. "I will miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Ada." She says, intentionally using the Elvish word for 'father'. He smiles, though it is still a grim one, and then leads her outside where the rest of the Fellowship awaits.

'Outside' is really a glade beneath an old stone arch. They have all gathered to bid farewell to Rivendell, and Alice goes to stand behind Sam, smiling at Frodo on her way past, and clapping a hand on both Frodo and Sam's shoulders as she passes. The gardener turns, and gives her a small smile before looking back at Elrond and the other Elves. The Elf Lord speaks to them, gazing sternly at the faces before him. Frodo stands, listening, slightly apart from the others.

"The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On you who travel with him no oath nor bond is laid, to go further than you will." He pauses, "Farewell. Hold to your purpose. May the blessings of Elves and Men and all free folk go with you." Elrond spreads his arms, and Legolas and Aragorn bow their heads, hands upon hearts, and Fingolfin tells Alice to do the same. Gandalf speaks from behind them.

"The Fellowship awaits the Ring-bearer." Frodo, turns and walks forward, uncertainly. Before him, the path winds away to either side. He whispers softly to Gandalf.

"Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?" Alice restrains her laughter, and Fingolfin scolds her for it.

"Left." Gandalf whispers back.

The Fellowship departs beneath an old arch of lichen-encrusted stone, Alice humming 'Think of Me' from the Phantom of the Opera to herself.

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><p><strong>Thank you to all of my readers, I have passed 1,000 hits and am now on my merry little way to 1,200! =D<strong>

**LUNA GURLZ - Lol, thanks. Yeah, Fingolfin's hilarious. XD**

**Gwilwillith - He got an eyeful, alright! XD  
>Yeah, Fingolfin's <em>trying<em>, lolz. Love triangles are very painful, as I'm trying to (and hopefully am succeeding in) getting across. By the way, did you get my PM?**

**Lyane - Awesome! I tried reading the Silmarilion, but it was too heavy for me. Gave me headache. XD  
>I think he's more confused than proud, but yeah, I see your point, lol. No, I don't think you can faint when you're inside someone else, lolz.<br>****HAHA! I cannot wait to see what you have to see now that you've read their fight. XD**

**Oh, one last thing, I haven't gotten anything about anyone wanting to do fanart, but I would like to say that I would _love_ it if someone did a picture of Alice standing, staring at herself in the mirror with Fingolfin's image standing behind her. Pop me a PM (or Skype message), and I'll send you a description of what he's wearing since I didn't type that up. Or, if you don't want to do that, I have a few other pictures I would absolutely _love_ if someone did them. =D**

**Review please! =D**


	12. Chapter 11

**Didn't want to tackle the Mines of Moria yet. Thought I would save that for later.**

**Disclaimer: All rights to the Lord of the Rings belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson. I only own my character, Alice.**

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><p>"<em>We must hold this course west of the Misty Mountains for forty days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there our road turns east to Mordor."<em>

Alice sits by the low fire, listening to the sounds it makes as the wood crackles. Sam sits on her right, watching the food he's so expertly cooking. She helped him prepare the food earlier, trying to learn his recipes. Gandalf sits with Frodo, the two of them the furthest from the fire. Boromir sits across from her, often trying to get her attention, but she studiously ignores him. Pippin and Merry sit on her left, telling her the recipes they remember their mother's teaching them. Aragorn sits between them and Boromir, smoking a pipe, and staring into the fire. Legolas sits on a boulder with his legs crossed a few feet behind the younger Hobbits. Doing what, Alice doesn't know. Finally, she stands up.

"Alright, I've breathed in enough smoke. I'm going to get some fresh air. I'll be back." Ringil on her hip, she starts to walk away.

"Don't go too far." Aragorn says over his shoulder after she's walked a few feet, and she stops to listen. "Don't need you getting lost." She smirks, laughing to herself, and then continues to walk away. She doesn't hear Legolas get up to follow, nor does she see the small glare Boromir sends in his direction.

She walks until she finds the stream they had refilled their water containers with earlier, sits down on the bank, takes off her boots, and lets the running water relax her sore and tense muscles. She pulls her legs up to her chest, wraps her arms around them, and rests her face against her knees.

She allows Fingolfin to envelop her senses, his awareness being much sharper than her own right now. He stays oddly quiet, trying to help her relax. She senses him suddenly become alert, but he still stays quiet, and she shrugs it off, not caring. She feels two hands ghosting across her back, and assumes that it's Fingolfin, again, trying to help her feel better. Slowly, the hands press firmer and firmer into her back, until she feels like she's getting a full massage. Somehow, the idea of it being Fingolfin giving her a massage floats out of her mind, and she accepts the fact that it's probably Legolas. His hands are nimbler than the big huge ones she saw clamping down on her shoulders in the mirror just a few days prior. She hears him humming a tune softly.

"What is that?" She asks, not turning to look at him.

"A lullaby my mother used to hum to me." He answers simply, continuing to try to get her back muscles to relax. They sit in silence for a couple of minutes.

"What happened to your mother?" His hands stop moving, and he doesn't answer for a minute.

"She left. It's been four hundred years since I've seen her. She went over the sea, to the Grey Havens." She closes her eyes, allowing her mind to automatically recall everything she'd read and learned about the mystical land known as 'the Grey Havens'. She shoves it aside for later examination. Something dawns on her.

"How old are you, exactly?" He chuckles, and resumes his massage.

"My birthday was a few months ago. I'm exactly 2,513 years old." She turns around and stares at him; her jaw feeling like it's touching the floor.

"No way." He laughs and nods. She looks away and shakes her head. "What?"

"Just thinking about when we met. You called me a child. I didn't realize…"

"… That it was because, if you compare us, you are a child?" She nods. He chuckles, and nods again. "I never thought I would fall in love with a mortal, I will tell you that much." She can feel the crack in her smile, and he can see it. He sighs, realizing that her smile at him is forced. Very slowly, he reaches up with his left hand, and very gently brushes it against the right side of her face, his fingertips tingling with the sensation of pushing strands of hair out of their way. "Alice…" She turns back towards the stream, closing her eyes to pull the tears in. "No, Alice," he grabs her by the shoulders and forces her to turn around and sit on her knees in front of him. "I need to say this before we go any further. I'm sorry." She jerks her head up, a bit surprised. She honestly thought, for some asinine reason, that he would tell her off for the outburst in Rivendell. "You were absolutely right in what you said; even though there were a few words I didn't understand. I was behaving like a spoilt child, and I should have never continued that fight with Boromir. I wish I could take it all back, and I most certainly wish you hadn't seen me in my weakest moment. At least, not like that." He sighs again, looking away. "You're so dedicated to the quest, and I've let my love cloud my judgment. I do not deserve to have you as my beloved." He looks up at her again, this time from underneath his eyelashes, "Can you forgive me for such terrible behavior?" She doesn't speak. She simply leans forward, letting the side of her face rest against his chest, and wraps her arms around his waist as he holds her across the shoulders. She sings just soft enough for him to hear.

"_Come what may,_

_Come what may,_

_I will love you, until my dying day…"_

_The next afternoon…_

Sam cooks up some sausages and other indiscernible foods over a fire, and then stands and goes to sit next to Frodo on a large rock. The Fellowship is resting on an outstretched arm of the mountains. Alice sits behind the 'battle circle' where Boromir teaches Merry and Pippin sword fighting, playing 'Jar of Hearts' by Christina Perri on her violin. The Sean Bean-lookalike currently battles with the youngest Hobbit, and he ticks off numbers as they move.

"Two, one, five." Pippin gets down low to block a small swipe from Boromir, "Good. Very good." Aragorn sits silently by, rarely speaking, and when he does, it's to encourage something they're not doing.

"Move your feet." Alice glances up out of the corner of her eye.

"Left foot, Pippin, not right." Fingolfin says for her, as she isn't paying enough attention, nor does she actually know enough about swordplay to tell the Halfling what to do. She distantly hears Gimli and Gandalf talking, but she isn't listening to them. She's too focused.

"Come on. Good." Boromir says to Pippin before accidentally nicking his hand.

"Aaaah!' Pippin says, waving his hand as blood seeps out.

"Sorry!" The Steward makes the grave mistake of coming closer to the Hobbit to check the wound. _**"Look, Alice!"**_ Pippin kicks Boromir in the shin. "Ahh!"

"Get him!" Merry calls as the two Hobbits knock the Big Person down onto the ground, and Aragorn, Boromir, and Alice all laugh.

"For the Shire! Hold him, hold him down, Merry!" _"I think they're tickling him."_ Aragorn gets up and puts a hand on either of the Hobbit's shoulders.

"Gentlemen, that's enough." Instead of calming the fight down, he simply makes it worse as the two then turn, grab his legs, and flip him onto his back. Alice nearly falls off her boulder, laughing so hard.

"You've got my arm, you've got my arm!" She grips her head as Fingolfin suddenly screams in her mind.

"_**WOULD YOU PAY SOME ATTENTION TO THAT MAN WHOSE ARMS YOU WERE IN LAST NIGHT?"**_ He moves her head in Legolas' direction, and spots the whiff of cloud, as Gimli calls it. Legolas stiffens almost imperceptibly.

"Crebain from Dunland!" She feels sudden fear, remembering the awful birds from her studies.

"HIDE!" Aragorn shouts, "Frodo! Sam! Take cover!"

Boromir's closest to her, and he grabs her to pull her underneath a large bush that she was just sitting next to. She lies on top of him, their faces next to each other so he can look up at the sky while she must stare at the ground. The sound the Crebain make… it is like screeching children. Like nails on chalkboards. It's a harsh, croaking noise that makes her think of a raven choking on a frog.

Finally, the noise fades, and she and Boromir stare at each other awkwardly for a minute. She rolls over onto her side, pressing her back into the sharp branches, to allow him to get up. Once he's out, she quickly follows.

"Spies of Saruman!" Gandalf proclaims, "The passage south is being watched." He looks at Frodo, who stands nearby. "We must take the pass of Caradhras!" He turns, and looks up at the tallest, snowiest mountain Alice has ever seen.

"_Ooffff course that's where we're going."  
><em>_**"Sucks to be you!"**_  
><em>"Shut up, you're coming too."<br>__**"Don't remind me."**_

_That evening…_

Alice lays curled up in her blankets, feeling her stomach twist and turn as she tries to lay still. Sam had made sausage again that night for dinner, and something had tasted off in hers. She couldn't put her finger on it, so she shrugged it off and ate the food. Now, however, she was regretting that decision.

Her stomach gives another painful churn, and she can feel pain from her ribs all the way into her intestines. It's a familiar pain. Food poisoning. It's been years, but she's had this once before from eating fish that wasn't cooked through. She's just hoping it won't be as bad this time around, and maybe she can hide the sickness from everyone else. Mostly because she would prefer to not wake them, as some of them are… well, 'grumpy' in the morning, and that's putting it lightly. She doesn't want to see how irritated Gimli would be if he woke up in the middle of the night to someone upchucking.

Boromir sits on duty a few meters away, and hasn't noticed her frequent rolling around. Legolas, however, not needing as much sleep as everyone else and simply laying down, staring at the stars, has. He suddenly sits up.

"Alice?" He asks the woman next to him, and she rolls over to look at him, not even attempting to hide the pain in her face, "Are you alright?" She shakes her head. The talking instantly wakes Aragorn.

"What's wrong?" He asks from across the now-put-out fire. His speech alerts Boromir, who quickly walks over.

"What's going on?" He asks before Alice can answer.

"There's something wrong with Alice." Legolas tells him, still staring at her in confusion, before she can even tell them what's going on.

"Something's wrong with Alice?" Frodo says, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Alice rolls her own. _"Would you please shut up and let me talk?"_ Unfortunately, Frodo talking wakes everyone else up rather quickly, so pretty soon everyone is repeating, 'Something's wrong with Alice?' over and over again.

"Would you guys shut up?" She finally says, and they're instantly quiet. Suddenly, she gets up out of bed and bolts for the trees. They can all hear the distinctly familiar sound of retching. Legolas gets up and quietly follows her. When they come back a minute later, her face has obviously been cleaned, and Legolas is still holding back her hair. Gimli quickly strikes up a new fire, and they can all see how incredibly pale she is. She looks almost like she did when she was hurt on the head back in the troll clearing. She rolls her eyes at their gasps of mild surprise. "It's just a bit of a stomach ache. I think its food poisoning, since my sausage didn't taste quite right. No offense to your cooking, of course, Sam." He thinks back for a minute, and then slaps himself, groaning.

"I just remembered that I was going to let your sausage sit on the fire a bit longer than everyone else's because I put yours on last. By the time everyone else's food was done and had been passed out, I'd forgotten." He looks up at her sadly, "I'm sorry, Miss Alice. I didn't mean to." She waves him off.

"Don't worry about it, I've had food poisoning before, its why I was sure that that was what's wrong. I'm just glad to have-"Again, she bolts out to behind the trees, Legolas hot on her heels to help. She comes back a few minutes later, "that confirmed." She notices everyone's look of pity.

"How long do you think it'll last?" Aragorn asks her, and she shrugs.

"Last time it was a piece of fish. I only threw up the night I'd eaten it, but I felt terrible for a few days. Took me almost a week to get totally over it." Everyone nods solemnly.

"I am in no need of rest. Alice and I shall take our things and sleep in the next clearing over so that you all may sleep soundly tonight." Gandalf nods.

"Very well. Let us all try and get some rest, and Alice," she looks up at her name being called, and see's the wizard's smile, "try to feel better in the morning." She nods. Sam, feeling bad for what had happened, carried her things to the clearing Legolas spoke of for her since she was already beginning to feel weak.

_The next morning…_

Aragorn slowly enters the clearing, and is not surprised to have an Elvish bow aimed at him. He holds up his hands, and Legolas lowers the bow.

"Mae govennan," Aragorn greets his friend, who returns the greeting. "How is she?" The princeling shrugs.

"She's better than she was, but she was sick for most of the night. It wasn't until almost dawn that she finally managed to fall asleep." They look over at her sleeping, still pale form.

"Dawn? That was two hours ago." Legolas nods again, and Aragorn sighs.

"She needs rest, she cannot go on today." The ranger scratches the back of his head, secretly agreeing with the Elf. Alice sleeps, blissfully unaware of their conversation. They both think for a few minutes.

"If you two stayed behind today, do you think you could run to catch up?" Aragorn proposes, and Legolas considers this.

"I'm not certain. I do not know if she will need sustenance." He looks up at the ranger, "It's our only choice. Gandalf will not be pleased to have the entire Fellowship stay behind another day." Aragorn nods, agreeing. "And I am the only one we can spare." Isildur's heir chuckles.

"No, she is the only one we could spare. But, I think you are right." He claps the Elf on his shoulder. "Prepare to leave, in case if Gandalf doesn't agree and insists she comes along anyway. If I'm not back in an hour, assume we've gone on ahead without you." Legolas nods. "I will see you in a few days."

_Two hours later…_

Alice slowly awakens to the sound of a fire crackling near herself. She stretches, yawning loudly.

"Good morning, a'maelamin." Legolas says from where he sits, stoking the fire. Alice looks around blearily, surprised to see that they're alone, before recalling last night's events. She groans, still not feeling very good. "You are not as well as you would have hoped." He states, and she shakes her head.

"Where is everyone?" He looks in the direction of the mountain they are to climb.

"They have gone on without us. It was decided that, in your condition, you must rest another day, and I would stay behind to aide you in whatever way I could. When you are back to feeling better, we will run to catch up with them. The hope is that Fingolfin will allow you to be able to keep pace with me." She nods.

"He will."

Alice spends most of the day asleep, despite the sun shining directly in her face. Normally, she can't sleep during the day, but having been up the entire night before, she's too exhausted to care. Legolas busies himself in various ways, checking his arrows, fletching more arrows, checking their supplies, collecting berries from nearby berry bushes that he makes her eat the few times she's awake, walking the perimeter, restringing his bow, and practicing his archery. Not that he necessarily needs to practice, but it passes the time. Mostly, however, he simply sits on a large rock by the fire, watching her sleep, admiring her peacefulness. Lately, her expression has been that of worry or concern. It's nice to see her calm.

As night falls, he grabs his blankets and pulls them over to her. He throws her blankets over himself, and then throws his blankets over them both so that they're both warm now that the fire's out. She wakes up at the sudden movement. She's surprised to see him this close.

"Legolas?" He chuckles a bit.

"We'll leave tomorrow morning, go to sleep, a'maelamin." She nods.

Alice surprises him by suddenly rolling over, and pressing her back into his chest. He recalls distantly her mentioning this once, calling it 'spooning'. He wraps an arm over her, and kisses her neck softly as the two fall asleep.

It takes the pair only a day to make up what the rest of the Fellowship walked in two, but no one complains at the Elvish speed (except for a bit of grumbling from Gimli). They manage to get to the base of the mountain and start climbing by the end of the week, good time by her standard. She's suddenly grateful for all that exercise Fingolfin put her through, as she now realizes it would be _very_ difficult to do this in the shape she was in when she first got to Bree.

She's distracted from her thoughts as she hears someone trip and fall behind her. She's been near Gandalf during their climb, discussing the Crebain and where they hail from. She turns to see Frodo being stopped by Aragorn before he can roll down the hill too far. Frodo stands and checks for the Ring, only to quickly ascertain that it has fallen off. Alice's breath catches in her throat for some reason, as she realizes that Boromir has bent over to pick up something from the ground. _"Just hand the Ring over to Frodo, Boromir, like a good boy, and let's get on our merry way, eh?"_

"Boromir." Aragorn calls from where he stands behind Frodo. The Steward holds the Ring up to his face by the chain, and he stares at it.

"It is a strange fate we should suffer so much fear and doubt… over so small a thing. Such a little thing." He reaches out a gloved hand as though to touch it.

"Boromir!" Aragorn calls again, this time louder. The spell is broken, the Steward is startled, and the once tempted man looks up. "Give the Ring to Frodo." Fingolfin can sense the dangerous tone in his voice, and both of them notice how Aragorn's hand has come to rest on the hilt of his sword. Boromir walks almost warily down the hill to the ranger and the Hobbit. He holds out the Ring.

"As you wish." Frodo doesn't wait even a heartbeat, his hand snaps out for the Ring like a coiled snake. "… I care not." Boromir playfully tousles Frodo's hair, and then turns to resume climbing. Alice sees both the strange look on Boromir's face and the suspicious look on Frodo's.

"_**I wish I had enough influence over you to tell you to stay away from him. However, knowing I do not, I will simply advise you to be wary."  
><strong>__"Seeing as he has yet to apologize for what he said about me back at Rivendell, you have nothing to worry about for the time being."_

_Sometime later…_

Alice clings to Legolas' shirt as they walk together over the snow. Everyone else is three feet into it, to the point that Aragorn and Boromir have to carry two Hobbits each, but with Fingolfin taking over her body, her steps are nearly as light as Legolas'. She sinks in only an inch or so with every step, whereas the Elf Prince does not sink at all. She keeps her eyes totally shut, and lets him guide her across the pass. She never felt the need to mention it before, but now that she's here, she's reminded as to why she is TOTALLY AFRAID OF HEIGHTS.

"There's a fell voice on the air!" She hadn't noticed yet that her and Legolas had stopped walking. There's a pause before she hears Gandalf speak from behind her.

"It's Saruman!"

There's a strange echo that bounces off the rocks from directly above, and risking the danger of seeing her surroundings, Alice's eyes shoot up to see the rocks coming down towards her. Legolas grabs her, and shoves her up against the cliff wall flat to avoid the stones as they fall. The Elf hears his beloved whimper, partially from the pain exploding behind her eyes, but most of all from the fear gripping her heart. His breaks from it, and he hugs her close and whispers sweet things in Elvish in her ear.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!" Aragorn half-screams over the storm. The wizard quickly turns to look at the ranger.

"No!" He gets up on top of the heavily crusted snow, and says things in a language Alice does not understand, nor does she wish to. "Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!" This time, Alice hears a second voice that drowns out Gandalf's, and she realizes that for the first time, she has heard the voice of Saruman. She almost feels her heart stop beating.

At the last possible moment, Alice realizes that there's a huge cascade of snow coming down from above. Closing her eyes and holding her breath, she stays where Legolas put her as he snatches Gandalf away from the edge of the cliff.

A moment goes by.

She hears the distant sound of Legolas quickly emerging from the snow. In another moment, he's free, and is digging her out. She reaches for him as soon as her arms are free, and he lifts her out of the snow. Seeing the ground from where she is, though its miles and miles away, she closes her eyes and grabs Legolas' shirt again, clinging to him like a frightened child.

"We must get off the mountain!" Boromir shouts. "Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the West road to my city!"

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" She hears Aragorn argue.

"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the Mines of Moria." This is the deep, gravelly voice of Gimli which Alice has grown to know almost as well as her own. She opens one eye to look at Gandalf.

"I don't really care what we do, I just happen to have a terrible fear of heights, and this mountain is doing nothing for my anxiety problems! Whether forward or backward, whichever is the fastest is my vote!" She doesn't see the conflicted look in Gandalf's eyes as he stares into the distance. After a very, very long pause, the ancient wizard finally speaks.

"Let the Ringbearer decide." Legolas pulls Alice in closer as the two watch Frodo's face change into surprise, and then sudden indecision and fear.

"We cannot stay here!" She notices Merry and Pippin's faces at Boromir's hips. They are both extremely pale, almost looking Elvish. "This will be the death of the Hobbits!"

"Frodo?" Gandalf asks, the grim tone in his voice fills Alice with dread, and there is another pause.

"We will go through the Mines." Frodo says at length, sureness in his voice as he comes to his decision. Another pause.

"So be it."

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><p><strong>Oh, forgot to mention last chapter that Alice's explosionrant at Boromir and Legolas was partially based off the rant Kurt Hummel gives to Tabitha in the Glee fanfiction, "Dalton" by CP Coulter (chapter 3, fyi). "Dalton" is in my favorite stories if you're interested. It's a Klaine fiction, and it's my personal favorite fanfiction evar.**

**OH! And speaking of her explosion/rant, I realized after I'd put up the chapter yesterday that I wrote one word wrong. She calls Legolas and Boromir, "masochistic, self-righteous, spoiled princesses". I meant to write "misogynistic, self-righteous, spoiled princesses". "Misogynistic" meaning, basically, 'a hater of women', or someone who derides women. I'll go back and fix it after I put this up, but just wanted to put that out there for anyone who already read the chapter.**

**On to the reviews!**

**LUNA GURLZ - Yes, unfortunately. I wish it were not so. I was going to make their argument longer, but I was very short on time.**

**Gwilwillith - Hahahaha, yeah, that was not my invention, unfortunately. I was discussing the argument with my friend, Umbreon666, and she gave me that line and I loved it so much I just**_**had**_**to use it. The adventure has begun (FINALLY)! Her and Aragorn end up becoming close friends by the end of the journey. Thank you so much, I will try! XD**

**Song credits: "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge!**

**Review please! =D**


	13. Chapter 12

**WOOT! Did not actually think I would get this up today, because of how long it took me to get it written. Longest chapter yet. w00t. *collapses***

**Also, I'm over 40,000 words, and I'm getting close to 2,000 hits. =D**

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><p>Alice brushes past Gandalf and Frodo where they have stopped to talk for a moment. She only catches a bit of their conversation, but is, quite frankly, too tired to care. Fingolfin has been prattling on about the dangers of Moria for the last hour in her ears, and she is almost ready to have herself shot just to shut him up. Gimli has, of course, been prattling on for the last hour <span>and a half<span> about the about the awesomeness that is Moria, and she's about ready to have him shot just to shut him up, when he suddenly stops in his tracks.

"The walls… of Moria!" They all stand up straight and look at the vast cliff face before them.

_Later…_

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed." Gimli says, banging the edge of his axe against the rocks. They've been searching for the last twenty minutes for the doorway.

"Yes, Gimli, their own masters cannot find them, if their secrets are forgotten." Gandalf finishes and Legolas looks at Alice, saying exactly what she was thinking.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Gimli grumbles next to them, but says nothing as she giggles quietly.

Frodo's foot splashes in the water, he gasps and pulls his leg back. A huge pool of water sits by the rock face, and this whole area strikes Alice as familiar. Gandalf, however, seems to have just found the door.

"Now… let's see. Ithildin —"Underneath his hand runs thin, silver spidery lines that are very faint underneath the dirt. "It mirrors only starlight… and moonlight." As he turns around to look up at the sky, Alice could swear that he must have whispered some kind of spell, because just then, the clouds move and the moon comes out. When he turns back around, the spidery lines that were once faint now glow brightly. "It reads," he says, holding up his staff to the symbols near the top, "'The Doors of Durin – Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter.'"

"Well, what do you suppose that means?" Merry asks from behind them with hope in his tone.

"Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open." Gandalf responds, and then he puts the end of his staff against the star in the center of the door, "Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen!"…

Nothing.

"Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen."

Still, nothing.

Alice can hear Fingolfin roaring in the back of her mind, laughing so hard he would have collapsed… if it weren't for the fact he lived inside another person.

"Nothing's happening." Pippin observes. _**"Very astute, that one."**_ Alice sees Gandalf's glance of annoyance sent in the Hobbit's direction, and tells the ancient Elf to shush. The wizard tries bodily pushing the door open, but still, they remain fast. _**"Well, no duh, they're made of stone, moron." **__"Would you please shut up?"_

"I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves… Men… and Orcs." Gandalf says quietly.

"What are you going to do, then?" Pippin asks, incurring the wrath of the wizard.

"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took! And if that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words." Gandalf responds, not missing Alice's glare as he stops yelling.

_Later…_

Everyone sits around the doors while Gandalf mutters spells, hoping one would work. Aragorn and Sam unhitch Bill's bridle, letting him leave. Alice leans against Legolas, who has one arm wrapped around her, and is whispering soft songs to her in Elvish. Frodo sits near Gandalf, trying to help. Merry and Pippin sit near the bank of the water, talking quietly. Boromir sits against a tree, smoking his pipe.

"Ando Eldarinwa… a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa…" The Grey Walker whispers quietly, also smoking a long pipe.

"The mines are no place for a pony, even one so brave as Bill." Aragorn tells Sam, finally getting everything off the horse.

"Bye, Bill." Sam whispers, and Alice smiles at the scene, even though neither the ranger nor the gardener sees it.

"Go on, Bill, go on." Aragorn commands, pushing Bill away, back down the shore. "Don't worry, Sam, he knows the way home." The sound of the clip-clops of horse shoes grows distant, and Frodo suddenly leans back to see Alice.

"I don't suppose you have a song you could sing?" She leans over to see him past Legolas, and then looks at Gandalf.

"Do you mind?" The wizard realizes he's being addressed, turns, shakes his head, then goes back to his pipe. She snuggles in closer to Legolas, and thinks for a few minutes. Then she takes a deep breath, and opens her mouth.

"_I follow the night__  
><em>_Can't stand the light__  
><em>_When will I begin to live again_

_One day I'll fly away__  
><em>_Leave all this to yesterday__  
><em>_What more could your love do for me__  
><em>_When will love be through with me__  
><em>_Why live life from dream to dream__  
><em>_And dread the day when dreaming ends_

_One day I'll fly away__  
><em>_Leave all this to yesterday__  
><em>_Why live life from dream to dream__  
><em>_And dread the day when dreaming ends_

_One day I'll fly away__  
><em>_Fly fly away..."_

A loud splash is heard. Merry is throwing stones into the water, and when Pippin goes to follow suit, Aragorn grabs his arm.

"Do not disturb the water." He says in a very ominous way that gives Alice chills.

"Oh, it's useless." Gandalf exclaims, sitting down next to Frodo and pulling off his hat.

The mortal woman sits up straight as she suddenly hears a ripple in the water, even though no one's in it. She looks up, and her, Boromir, and Aragorn watch as a ripple runs through the water, topping Alice's list of Creepiest-Things-I've-Ever-Seen-EVER.

"It's a riddle." Frodo says, standing. Everyone but Gandalf and Frodo watch the water ripple. "Speak 'friend', and enter." A beat. "What's the Elvish word for friend?" The water moves again.

"Mellon." Gandalf says deeply, and the doors swing open. They all get up and slowly enter Moria, Aragorn last. The wizard puts a crystal on the end of his staff, and moonlight floods the first ten feet of the chamber.

"Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin, Balin." Gandalf's hand goes over the end of his staff, and the crystal in it glows. "And they call it a mine. A mine!" Horror seems to strike every member of the Fellowship at once.

"This is no mine, it's a tomb." Boromir says, voicing what they had all concluded. Gandalf's light reveals to them the broken, battered, and rotting skeletons of hundreds of dwarves that cast long shadows around them. Gimli's heart is broken.

"No! Noooo!" Legolas bends down to a Dwarf at his feet, and pulls out an arrow.

"Goblins!" He says after examining the end.

Alice feels herself being pushed aside, which she does not fight at all, and Fingolfin takes over. She watches as he pulls out Ringil, and Aragorn and Boromir also pull out their swords. Legolas quickly follows suit, knocking an arrow into his bow.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here." Boromir says as they all start to back towards the door.

"Let's get out of here." Fingolfin says in Alice's voice, and everyone sends her a quick glance, recognizing the sudden change in her voice and stance. Aragorn mumbles a greeting beneath his breath, and Fingolfin sends him a fast smile, happy to be recognized. No one hears something stirring in the water again.

"Now get out of here, get out!" Boromir cries and they all turn and run for the door.

"FRODO!" Fingolfin spins on Alice's heel, and they see Frodo being carried off by a huge tentacle that's wrapped around his ankle. The other Hobbits have taken off after him, and Sam cuts one of the tentacles.

"Get off him! STRIDER!" Sam calls, trying to get his attention.

"Aragorn!" This catches the ranger's attention, and the Hobbits manage to free Frodo and pull him to safety.

The tentacles disappear for about a half second, when suddenly seven or eight come out of the water. Fingolfin races towards the Hobbits to defend them as they are slapped away and Frodo is pulled into the air. Legolas runs out onto the shore, and looses an arrow on the beast. Fingolfin, Aragorn, and Boromir race into the water and start attacking the watcher. Frodo is flinged like some of the boyfriends of Alice's high school friends, by the huge tentacles, before being lowered towards the gaping maw of the beast, ringed with fangs, set in a grilled face. Aragorn and Alice slice through the tentacle that holds Frodo, and he falls into Boromir's arms.

"INTO THE MINES!" Gandalf commands, reasserting control.

"Legolas! Shoot its eye!" Boromir calls and the three swordsmen retreat.

"Into the cave!" Aragorn shouts, and Legolas shoots another arrow, this one hitting home into the right eye of the watcher. It recoils with a roar. "Run!"

As they all race into Moria, the sea creature reaches out and tears the gates shut. Slabs of rocks drop and the roof of the passageway caves in. The Fellowship stares back as the last rays of moonlight disappear.

There's a moment of silence.

Gasps and heavy breathing echo off the rock walls that now surround them.

"We now have but one choice." Light appears from the end of Gandalf's staff, showing the startled and surprised faces of the Fellowship. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs, in the deep places of the world." They all start walking forward, and Alice sticks close to Legolas who stands behind Gandalf, "Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."

Fingolfin gives control back, and the sensation of her numb fingers suddenly being available to her is a very strange one. One that is almost impossible to actually describe. It's what Alice would imagine as coming back from an out-of-body experience, but like she never left. Almost like… an out-of-body experience combined with dual personality disorder. Having been suppressed, now she can actually influence her movements instead of simply watching them. It is very, very strange.

_Later…_

They enter a huge cavern. Gandalf's hand rests against the rock wall, and the silver veins from the doors of Moria are imbued into this wall as well.

"The wealth of Moria was not in gold… or jewels…" He turns around, and holds his staff above a deep pit. "… but Mithril."

The light illuminate down the well, reflects, and comes back up to their faces. Alice looks down the well foolishly, and then suddenly backs up, feeling like her lunch is about to make another grand appearance. She chooses to instead, look at the faces of her friends. She cannot help but smile at Boromir's expression. She almost laughs when Merry leans in a little too close for Pippin's comfort, and his cousin puts up a warning hand. They all stare until the light finally fades. They turn to walk away.

"Bilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him." Gandalf says after a quiet moment.

"Oh, that was a kingly gift." Gimli responds, a bit of surprise in his voice.

"Yes!" Gandalf muses, "I never told him, but it's worth was greater than the value of the Shire." Figuring Frodo might have seen the shirt, or at least heard Bilbo talk about it, she sends a backwards glance at the Hobbit, and smiles at his surprised expression.

"_**I wonder if Bilbo gave it to Frodo, seeing as really, he has no more use for it in Imladris."  
><strong>__"That's true. Maybe I'll ask him later."_

Within an hour they're going from traversing a huge cavern to literally crawling up the steepest set of stairs that Alice has ever seen. Pippin, at one point, loses his footing and falls onto Merry, who chastises him quietly. When they reach the top, there's a clearing with a staircase on their left that spirals above the outcropping of rock to make a small cliff. At the top there's a crossroad. Three huge doorways loom before them. Gandalf glances between them.

"I have no memory of this place."

Gandalf sits above them before the doors. Aragorn and Boromir sit together at the top of the steep staircase, smoking pipes. Legolas leans against the rock wall behind them, looking down the stairs. Sam lays next to him on the ground, and Pippin sits across from him on the stairs. A few steps higher sits Merry, and then even higher, just before the staircase becomes spiral, sits Frodo. Alice sits with her legs crossed on the far side of the clearing beneath Gandalf. Her gaze shifts between Boromir and Legolas as she plays the penny whistle she brought, using the noise to block out the chilling silence and the strange conversation Merry and Pippin are having.*

"_**Gollum."**_ Alice is startled by the voice of Fingolfin, who's been quiet all day. Frodo turns, hearing a noise, seems startled, and then gets up to go talk to Gandalf._**  
><strong>__"What?"  
><em>_**"Do you not remember? Legolas told you about when he and Aragorn captured the creature known simply as 'Gollum'."**_ He shows her the memory, causing her to remember. _**"This is not good."  
><strong>__"On any level."_

Fingolfin instructs her to grab the whet stone that he had put in her bag before they left Rivendell (without her knowledge), and pull out Ringil. It was still sharp, but since they were not doing much of anything anyway, he wanted to be certain it would be as sharp as could be, just in case. He's in the midst of telling her how to do it when a voice startles her.

"Is it heavy?" She looks up at Pippin, who's watching her. "It looks heavy." She smiles.

"It was. But then I got very strong. Now it isn't anymore." Legolas turns, hearing her talk, and smiles at her. She returns it, before shifting her gaze, and then smiling awkwardly at Boromir and Aragorn, the latter of whom is smirking.

"Fingolfin put you through hell?" She rolls her eyes.

"You have no idea." They all chuckle.

"Oh, it's that way." Gandalf suddenly says, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"He's remembered!" Alice hadn't noticed yet that Merry has been smoking a pipe, and she swiftly puts the whistle away before standing. Gandalf puts on his hat before starting down the dark hallway.

"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here." He puts a hand on Merry's shoulder, "If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

_Later…_

They come into a more open space. Broken columns lie tumbled across the floor. Gandalf holds up his staff.

"Let me risk a little more light." His staff illuminates a giant stone hall with tall pillars and arched ceilings. Gimli gasps. The room is huge, and stretches on for at least half a mile. Alice's eyes are huge.

"I've never seen anything like this…" She whispers.

"Behold: the great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." Gandalf says in what Alice has dubbed his "Grand Wizard" voice.

"Now there's an eye-opener, and no mistake." She hears Sam say.

They walk forward. Legolas comes to stand almost protectively just in front of Alice.

"Haugh!" Gimli says after peering around a column. When she looks after him as he takes off, she sees a ray of sunshine.

"Gimli!" Gandalf shouts after him, "Alice!" His voice has turned from rebuking to irritate as she quickly runs after Gimli, sword drawn.

She glances around the room as the Dwarf drops to his knees in front of a huge crypt. There are bodies and weapons scattered everywhere. It smells greatly of death. The shaft of light they saw is illuminating the crypt. Gandalf warily follows them inside, and then walks up to read the inscription that is in a language Alice can't read.

"No, no, no!" Gimli sobs, and Boromir places a hand on his shoulder.

"Here lies Balin," Gandalf translates, "son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.' He is dead then. It is as I feared."

She's finished searching the room for danger, and so comes and kneels next to Gimli, puts her arm around his shoulders, and leans her head in next to his, knowing from experience that oftentimes just being there is enough. She hears him chanting something softly in Dwarfish, and then hears Legolas warn Aragorn that they must move on to her left.

"'They have taken the bridge… and the second hall.'" Gimli stops sobbing, and looks up to listen to Gandalf as does Alice, but the Dwarf stares on blankly. "'We have barred the gates… but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes.'" She realizes that Gandalf is reading from some kind of log in an old, large book. Pippin, holding the wizard's staff and hat, backs up. "'Drums… drums in the deep.'" He looks up and casts a strange look around before turning the bloodstained page. Everyone begins to glance around uncomfortably. "'We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark.'" Alice doesn't see Pippin stumble or turn towards the skeleton sitting on the well behind him. "'We cannot get out.'" He looks up at them, his eyes wide, "'They are coming!'".

"_**STOP HIM!"**_

Too late. Pippin has touched the corpse on the well, and the skull has slipped off and tumbles into the well with a resounding crash. Gandalf and Pippin turn around at almost the same time, the Hobbit with a guilty look. He closes his eyes as the rest of the skeleton slips off the well, and tumble down inside, the sound reverberating through (what sounds like) all of Moria. Pippin winces visibly at every crash. Finally, the bucket thuds against the ground, and all is quiet once more, excluding the small sighs of relief Boromir and Aragorn give… until Gandalf slams the book shut.

"Fool of a Took!" He rebukes, "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" He pulls his hat and staff from the Halfling's hands, and then turns to walk away. The wizard doesn't fail to notice Alice's harsh glare that reads very plainly, 'you went too far'. Pippin doesn't move, standing awkwardly in the wake of the wizard's wrath.

Drums.

Drums can be heard, and both Gandalf and Pippin turn to look inside the well, as the sounds reverberate back up to them. They are accompanied by screeches.

"_**Drums in the deep…"**_ Fingolfin recites silently, and his words hit her like a ton of bricks.  
><em>"Oh my <em>_god."  
><em>

"Frodo!" Sam says as the Ringbearer withdraws Sting. It's glowing vibrantly.

"Orcs!" The venom in Legolas' tone is very evident, and Boromir quickly runs to the door to look out.

"Boromir!" Alice yells, one hand outstretched as two arrows almost hit him in the head. Aragorn tosses his torch aside, and the two run to the Steward.

"Get back!" The ranger shouts to the Hobbits, "You stay close to Gandalf!" The three shut the doors, and a bellow can be heard. Boromir smirks at Alice.

"They have a cave troll."

"_Wow, he sounds sexy when he's sarcastic."  
><em>_**"Did not need to hear that, thanks."**_  
><em>"Sorry."<em>

Legolas starts tossing the three of them weapons from around the room, and Fingolfin uses his fast reflexes to catch them before one brains them.

"_**I've already died once; I'd like to not do it again, whether at the hands of Morgoth or the forces of Sauron."**_ Fingolfin says to her as he takes control of her body.  
><em>"Go for it, bud."<br>__**"I will, thanks."**_

Again, they notice the change. It is an odd thing to describe. She goes from being a shaking, nervous woman who fears greatly for her life, to a confident warrior. It's like a change in the energy about her that is only noticeable if you are familiar with one or the other.

"Good to have you back, Lord Fingolfin." Aragorn says as he draws his sword.

"Good to be back, Master Aragorn." He replies kindly, wielding Ringil like a true master of swordsmanship, unlike Alice who wielded it clumsily. Boromir smiles.

"Tell Alice I said hello." Fingolfin only glares in response, and the son of Denethor looks away awkwardly.

"Argh!" Gimli cries from atop the crypt "Let them come! There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"

The doors begin to shake as creatures on the other side start trying to break down the doors. Weapons begin to crash through the splintering pieces. Legolas and Aragorn stand with their bows drawn and arrows knocked, ready to release. In the first clear gap, Legolas looses an arrow, and a startled shriek is heard as one of the creature's fall back. The Elf notches another arrow as Aragorn fires one of his.

Just as his arrow lands, the creatures break through the door and the battle begins. A wave of armor-clad Orcs charge through the Fellowship, who are quick to engage them. Aragorn and Legolas find the holes in the armor of the Orcs with their arrows, Boromir and Fingolfin smash them with their swords, and Gimli catches them with his swinging axe. With a loud roar, Gandalf charges into the fray and the Hobbits are quick to follow.

Aragorn puts away his bow to draw his sword, and beheads a nearby Orc, causing its black blood to spew everywhere. Fingolfin looks up from where he's just run an Orc through with Ringil, and sees the cave troll smash its way through the door. Chains lead from its neck down to the hands of an Orc. Legolas shoots the cave troll in the shoulder; the beast growls and claps a hand to its wound. Sam stares, frozen in place, as the troll swings down it's mace at the Hobbit. He dives underneath the troll's legs and crawls away as it turns and sights him again.

The beast raises its arm to strike when it suddenly stops, and is pulled back. Aragorn, Fingolfin, and Boromir are pulling on its chains. It falls on its back, and Boromir sends several glances between the chain and the troll. Now irritated, the troll twists his arm and whips the Steward across the room. He lands in a recess of a wall, dazed. An Orc appears above him, ready to strike. Fingolfin is distracted by a Goblin appearing at his side, dagger drawn back to land a blow. With two easy flicks of his wrist, the creature's hand is dislodged from its arm, and its head is promptly removed from its shoulders. When he turns back around at Alice's urging, Aragorn is missing a sword as it is now lodged in the neck of the Orc that almost killed Boromir.

Gimli launches his axe, and imbeds it in the chest of the troll. The large creature swings its mace into the tomb, destroying half of it, and knocking the Dwarf off it. He's quick to find another axe and start hewing at a nearby Orc, but ducks when the large mace of the cave troll comes swinging back around at him, and the mace hits a Goblin instead, and then another. From a corner, Legolas launches two arrows at once, hitting the troll. Gimli takes down another Orc. The troll swings his chain above his head. He swings at the Elf three times, and Legolas dodges it every time. The fourth time, the chain wraps around a pillar, and Legolas runs along the chain onto the trolls shoulders. He shoots the troll in the back of the head and jumps off. The troll cringes and stumbles. Alice feels an emergence of pride at the sight of it, though she only sees it out of the corner of Fingolfin's eye. From somewhere in the room, they hear a banging sound, and then Sam's voice.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this." At her curiosity, Fingolfin turns to look and sees the Hobbit knock out an Orc with his frying pan. _"You go, Sam!"_ The Elf Lord is distracted by the swing of the mace, and quickly dodges to the side, deciding to allow the others to take care of it.

Goblins and Orcs gasp as Ringil sings through them, it's great cold taking them by utter surprise as they are more expecting the warmth of the blood of others to be penetrating them. Not pure ice. Fingolfin slays most of the forces of evil as the others are seemingly distracted by something else. It isn't until he hears Frodo's cries that he realizes what's going on.

He turns, and watches as Frodo is stabbed through the stomach with a spear by the cave troll.

"_FFFFRRROOOODDDDOOOOO!" _ Alice screams in Fingolfin's mind, and pained yet encouraged by this, he presses forward to help kill the troll.

Merry and Pippin jump on top of the beast, and start stabbing it in the neck as the ancient Elf Lord runs forward, having already cleared a path from killing so many, and attempts to gut the creature. A long, deep gash appears in its belly, blood seeping forth, but it seems to barely flinch at all. Finally, Legolas ends the long battle by shooting an arrow directly into its brain through its mouth. With a long, pained moan and a few moments of stumbling about, it falls to the ground, dead. Pippin is thrown off its back and onto the floor. Where Merry is, he does not know.

"_We are safe, let me back in!"_ Alice almost screams, fear gripping her heart and flooding her veins. Startled, Fingolfin quickly loosens his grip, and is shoved aside and back into the subconscious as Alice quickly takes over. "Frodo!" She shouts, tears quickly forming in her eyes and running down her face. "Frodo!" She shouts again, running towards the still Hobbit. Gandalf and Aragorn are quick to rush over as well. She helps Aragorn roll Frodo over, and gasps when she hears the small groan and gasps for air from the Hobbit she thought was dead.

"He's alive!" Sam says, looking up at Gandalf with relief in his voice. Frodo sits up, and Alice quickly hugs him, tears still falling.

"We thought you had died." She says before backing off, and Frodo clutches his chest where he had been stabbed.

"I'm alright, I'm not hurt." He says to her and Sam.

"You should be dead," the wonder in Aragorn's voice makes Alice smile, "That spear would have skewered a wild boar." She can almost hear the smirk in Gandalf's tone when he speaks up from behind.

"I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye." Frodo looks up at Gandalf, and then undoes his shirt. Sam reaches over to touch the shiny armor beneath.

"Mithril…" Gimli breathes, surprised. Alice gives Frodo a 'you shouldn't have worried me like that' that she imagines was the look her mother often gave her as a little girl. "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins." They hear Orcs in the distance, and Gandalf's fearful look instantly returns to his eyes.

"To the Bridge of Khazad-dûm!"

The Fellowship runs out the chamber into the hall of pillars. They're closely pursued by an army of Orcs. Other Orcs spring out from the floor or crawl, like spiders, from the ceiling and down the pillars. Alice shivers at the sight of them, having never really liked spiders to begin with. The Orcs surround them, and she's thankful that Fingolfin, who is much braver than she, has taken control again, and drawn Ringil as they all stand in a circle. The Orcs snarl and leer, and a few of them make as though to grab at her. Gimli lets out a yell. A fiery light appears at the end of a hall followed by a thunderous rumble. The Orcs flee in all directions. Gimli laughs, thinking he has scared off the Orcs. They are left alone. The weary wizard stares down the hall.

"What is this new devilry?"

"_My god, that man is sexy."  
><em>_**"WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP THAT?"  
><strong>__"SORRY!"_

Gandalf does not respond for a moment. He closes his eyes, concentrating. The rumble is heard again, and the wizard opens his eyes.

"A Balrog — a demon of the ancient world." The thing growls, still hidden around a corner of the vast hall, throwing fiery light on the pillars. "This foe is beyond any of you…" He turns to his right, "Run!"

"_Shit, shit, shit! This is the one scene from the movie I remember!"  
><em>_**"Then tell me which way to go!"  
><strong>__"Take a right inside the doorway!"_

They all run across the huge room to a small doorway. Gandalf shepherds them through. "Quickly!" He takes a last glance behind him, and follows.

The Fellowship enters a passageway and goes down a flight of steps. The flight ends in a missing segment, and Boromir nearly falls but Legolas wraps his arms across his chest and pulls the Steward back from the abyss. His torch whirls away into the vast underworld beneath.

"Gandalf!" Aragorn says to the wizard, helping him down the steps.

"Lead them on, Aragorn! The bridge is near!" He responds. They look across a wide space to a long bridge spanning the gap between a hall and a cliff face. Away behind them, the Balrog roars again. Aragorn moves towards Gandalf, but Gandalf pushes Aragorn roughly away from him. "Do as I say!" Alice doesn't see the look of hurt and confusion on the ranger's face. "Swords are no more use here!"

The Balrog roars again. They descend a flight of massive stairs that twist and turn. When they encounter a gap in the stairs, Alice instructs Fingolfin to use his momentum and leap across, and he is quick to do so. Legolas leaps after her… him… them, and lands safely on the other side. They hear the rumble of the Balrog once more. Foundations all around them splinter and crumble, sending huge rocks tumbling into the depths.

"Gandalf." Legolas calls, waving his arm to get him to jump, and Gandalf quickly leaps after him.

Arrows whistle into the air from a far ledge, striking the stone steps, and Legolas is quick to shoot back. His arrow rises through the air and pierces the skull of an Orc. The Orc tumbles down from his ledge.

"Merry! Pippin!" Boromir says, before grabbing the two Hobbits and leaping across the gap. Arrows are exchanged between Aragorn and Legolas, and the Orcs high above them on the ledges.

"Sam." Aragorn says simply, before pitching the Halfling across, and Fingolfin quickly catches him. Aragorn reaches back to pick up Gimli, who holds up a hand.

"Nobody tosses a dwarf." _"What, you think you're a BAMF or something?"_ Fingolfin rolls his eyes at her expression. Gimli leaps forward but nearly falls back into the chasm, and Legolas has to grab his beard and pull him up. "Not the beard!" He says in pain.

Some of the stone steps where Aragorn stand crumble and fall, and the ranger pushes Frodo to safety. They climb to their feet and look at the now widened gap that separates them from the rest of the Fellowship.

"Steady. Hold on!" The Balrog can be heard approaching from the other hall. Stone structures around the mine collapse as it draws near. A huge rock falls from the ceiling and smashes through the steps behind Aragorn and Frodo, creating another gap behind them. The stairs begin to wobble. "Hang on! Lean forward!"

"Come on!" Legolas urges, ready to catch Aragorn. Alice worries from the back of the group, where she has now regained control of her body. They shift their weight forward, tipping the stairs across the divide and slamming them onto the steps where their companions are, and they leap across to safety. They run down the stairs as the stone structures collapse behind them.

"I hate this place, I hate this place, I hate this place!" Alice chants to herself as they run, and only Pippin hears her. He just laughs.

They come around a great pillar in a fiery hall, Gandalf leading them, Alice and Legolas taking the rear. A wall of flame whirls behind them.

"Over the bridge! Fly!" They're quick to flee.

Gandalf does not follow, but turns, looking into the wall of fire. A great form of black shadow leaps through the flames, its eyes of white fire, great ash-black horns curling around a bull-like head. It opens its maw, rippling heat pouring out with a rumble. Alice is so scared by this monster before her; Fingolfin has to retake control to get her to continue running, as she freezes in place. Gandalf turns, running after the Fellowship. A great, black, cloven foot stomps down into the hall, bursting into flame. A narrow bridge of stone appears in the fiery light, and they all cross the bridge, Alice grateful that Fingolfin is not INSANELY AFRAID OF HEIGHTS like she is. Gandalf stops at the bridge, and turns to face the Balrog.

"You cannot pass!"

"Gandalf!" Frodo screams out. The Balrog stands at its full height, flames engulfing it's black body.

"I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor…" Gandalf says to the beast, holding up his staff as the crystal in the end shines brighter than it ever has. The Balrog pulls out a sword made purely of fire. "The dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Udûn!"

The Balrog strikes down on Gandalf, who parries the blow with his blade, shattering the Balrog's sword. Glowing embers run off the circle of light around the wizard. The monster bellows at the wizard. Frodo gasps. Aragorn runs forward.

"Go back to the Shadow!" Gandalf says, teeth clenched. The Balrog steps onto the bridge, brandishing a flaming whip. Gandalf raises his sword and staff together into the air, and the most epic line of all time is uttered here.

"You — shall not — pass!"

Gandalf drives his staff into the bridge, causing a bright flash of blue light to appear. Flaring its nostrils, the Balrog steps forward onto the bridge. The bridge collapses from under it as it moves towards Gandalf, and breaks before the wizard's staff. The demon plunges backward into the chasm, still wielding its glowing whip. Gandalf, exhausted, leans on his staff and watches the Balrog fall. He turns to follow the others. But the flaming whip lashes up from the depths of the abyss and winds about Gandalf's ankle, dragging him over the edge. He clings onto the bridge but strains to keep his grip. Frodo rushes forward but Boromir restrains him.

"No, no!" Boromir says, not wishing Frodo to go to Gandalf.

"Gandalf!" Frodo cries. The wizard grasps the bridge, looking into Frodo's eyes. He stops struggling.

"Fly, you fools!" And these are the last words uttered by Gandalf in this life. He lets go of the edge, and falls into the abyss. There's a pause.

"No!" Frodo screams, as Boromir grabs hold of him and starts to leave up a flight of stairs.

"Aragorn!" The Steward calls to the unmoving ranger.

"No!" Frodo screams again, and Fingolfin charges up the stairs, forcing the body the two live inside together to move again, trying to not be swallowed whole by Alice's shock and sudden despair.

* * *

><p><strong>And the great wizard dies... What? Don't give me that look. You already knew it was going to happen! That's why this is fanfiction, you already know this story!<strong>

***I couldn't tell where Gimli was sitting during this scene, so that's why he's not mentioned in that paragraph. If anyone does know, please pop me a PM and I'll fix it.**

**LUNA GURLZ - I'm just gonna start calling you "Luna" for short, cuz I keep messing up the 'GURLZ' part, lol. I was hoping someone would find that part funny, because I couldn't tell if it was funny or just obnoxious.**

**Gwilwillith - Yes, Legolas, Aragorn, and Fingolfin are kind of her rocks at this point. Boromir's biggest problem is that he wants to apologize in private, but he can't seem to get two minutes alone with her, lol.**

**Lady Minnie - Thank you!**

**Song credits: "One Day I'll Fly Away" from Moulin Rouge!**

**Next time, we'll see Boromir's heartfelt apology, and all of Alice's questions answered. Also, we will get to meet the fantastic Lady Galadriel! w00t!**

**Review please! =D**


	14. Chapter 13

**Huge, huge thanks to my friend, Umbreon666 for helping me with this chapter. Again, wouldn't have made it through, or even this far, w/out her support.**

**Disclaimer: All rights and ownership to the "Lord of the Rings" franchise belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson (I always include him because I kind of blend books with the movies in this), only the character Alice belongs to me. Sitria and Eletha belong to my two friends, Umbreon666 and Cali.**

* * *

><p>Fingolfin manages to get her just a few feet out the door when he feels himself being violently, yet unintentionally pushed away by Alice. She stands just a foot away from the last step, everyone else moves past her, not noticing how she stands, staring into the distance. Confusion mixes with her despair and sorrow. Out of the corners of her eyes, she sees the rest of the Fellowship, Sam sitting down, weeping, Boromir clutching to Gimli as the Dwarf vents his sorrow and anger, Frodo standing off by himself, Aragorn cleaning his sword, Legolas' confused expression, Pippin laying down on the ground, openly weeping while Merry holds him. She sees them in passing only, not truly even seeing them. She hears Fingolfin in her ears, whispering soft apologies for not being able to do anything, and she can feel his sorrow at the loss, though it is nothing in comparison to hers or the others, as he was not familiar with Gandalf. She doesn't hear the conversation between Aragorn and Boromir, but sees Legolas as he moves towards the two youngest Hobbits.<p>

She walks forward, towards where Aragorn stands away from everyone else. He gets up Sam, and turns to shout something at Frodo, but it falls on her deaf ears. When she reaches him, he grabs her arm gently, and looks into her eyes. He sees the shock, confusion, anger, and sorrow all melding together. He pulls her into a soft hug, and she cries silently into his arms.

"It will be alright, mellonamin." He whispers to her, and it takes Fingolfin a moment to translate, as his sorrow conflicts with his will to aid her. When he finally tells her it means 'my friend', she looks up at the ranger.

"I'm glad we can be friends, Aragorn." He smiles down at her, kisses her forehead, and then releases his hold. She closes her eyes, wipes away her tears, straightens her shoulders, and looks back up at him resolutely. "Okay, I'm ready to go." He gives her a curious look, and she smiles grimly, "I've been hurt enough times to know how to internalize it." His look turns grim as well, and he nods before moving away.

Down the hills they go, everyone except Alice and Aragorn marches, the two of them keeping up a jog. They reach a rippling brook that opens up to a small lake about two inches deep. The two run across, and look out onto a golden-green wood.

"I've heard of forests that appeared gold and green," she says to the ranger softly, "But I've never seen it." He smiles, moving slightly as though offering up a small laugh.

"Welcome to Lothlórien."

_Sometime later…_

They run across a grassy field, and halt underneath the leaves of a tall forest. Some trees are thin; looking similar to birch trees, or are at least very young. Some are huge, a diameter so wide that Alice is certain she could not touch her other fingers if she tried to wrap her arms around the tree. But all of them seem to go up and up, not quite as tall as the infamous Sequoia trees from California back home, yet still, their height gives away their eternal age. Aragorn looks around cautiously.

"_**I don't like this…"  
><strong>__"What's wrong?"  
><em>_**"It's too… quiet."**_

"…a great sorceress lives in these woods, an Elf-witch, of terrible power. All who look upon her, fall under her spell…" Alice does not fail to notice Frodo's sudden jump, and how he looks around as though someone spoke to him. "… and are never seen again…" Gimli finishes ominously. _"Hey! He stole Gandalf's 'Grand Wizard' voice!"_ Frodo stops moving, and still looks around as though looking for someone, Alice stops to see what will become of this.

"Mister Frodo?" Sam asks, getting his attention.

"Well, here is one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!" Alice sees the notched arrow in Gimli's face before he does, and resists the sudden urge to laugh.

"_**Don't laugh, we've got one on our left and right, too. Probably one behind us, as well."  
><strong>__"__Damn it all!"_

She glances around, and sees the two bows Fingolfin mentioned, as well as twenty other bowmen, all with bows out, and arrows at the ready. A tall, golden-haired Elf steps out from amongst the rest, his bow on his back, still.

"The Dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark." She cracks a smile at Gimli's growl.

_Sometime later…_

The Fellowship stands on a leaf-shaped platform in the rustling foliage. Aragorn, Boromir, and Legolas stand up front, Gimli between and just behind Aragorn and Boromir, and Alice just behind and between Boromir and Legolas. The four Hobbits stand behind her and Gimli. The Elf from earlier walks up to greet them and Fingolfin quickly translates everything.

"Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion." The Elf says to Legolas, a hand over his heart, which he extends in Legolas' direction. _**"Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil."**_

"Govannas vîn gwennen le, Haldir o Lórien." The Elf looks over at Aragorn. _**"Our Fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir of Lórien… I take that to mean his name is Haldir."**_

"A, Aragorn in Dúnedain istannen le ammen." _**"Oh, Aragorn of the Dúnedain, you are known to us."**_

"Haldir," Aragorn responds with a small bow.

"So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves!" Gimli grumbles from behind the ranger, "Speak words we can all understand!" _**"He just doesn't know when to shut up, does he?"**_ Alice quickly responds in the negative.

"We have not had dealings with the Dwarves since the Dark Days." _"Oh __**day-um."**_ Alice and Fingolfin think at the same time.

"And you know what this Dwarf says to that? Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!" Gimli responds, and Aragorn spins around to grab the Dwarf's shoulder.

"That was not so courteous." Merry grabs Alice's arm and pulls her back a little.

"Do you know what they're saying?" He whispers into her ear.

"They're just greeting each other, trust me, you're not missing much." She whispers back, and Haldir addresses Frodo.

"You bring great evil with you." He then looks up to address Aragorn again, "You can go no further." He quickly turns and walks away, almost like he's nervous. Sam and Pippin turn to look at Frodo, who looks uncomfortable.

Aragorn walks away, and argues with Haldir away from everyone else. Alice stands next to Legolas, who turns and looks at Frodo. Uncomfortable, the Hobbit looks at Sam, who has a hurt expression and shifts his gaze away, and then he looks at Merry and Pippin, who likewise look away. Gimli sends a fast glance in Frodo's direction, but says nothing. Alice catches all of this, and then decides to go over and stand next to Frodo.

"Hey," she says to him softly, he looks up at her, and then looks away. "Hey," she says again, this time touching his chin and pulling his face towards her while crouching down, "I'm not sure what's dragging you down, but whatever it is, let go of it." Boromir comes over and stands behind her.

"Gandalf's death was not in vain," the Steward says softly, "Nor would he have you give up hope." Frodo looks up at him, "You carry a heavy burden, Frodo. Don't carry the weight of the dead." The Hobbit ponders this until Haldir catches his attention. Alice looks up, and stands up straight.

"You will follow me." The Elf says, less than happy. He swiftly walks away. Alice touches Boromir's shoulder as they begin to follow.

"Thank you, by the way, for helping." He nods, but says nothing. There's a pause, before she suddenly starts to giggle.

"What?" He whispers quietly.

"Is it just me, or does everything around here glow all by itself?" Boromir quickly glances around, and then smiles and nods. The smile drops off his face.

"Listen, when we have a moment to rest, I would like to talk to you… in private… about what happened in Rivendell." Fear grips her heart, but she refuses to show it. Instead, she simply nods, and slows her pace to go walk by Frodo.

They emerge from the glowing trees and back out into the sunshine. A caravan of Elves has walked with them, and leads them along a ridge down a tiny path, through the golden woods. Boromir glances at Alice and Frodo behind him, but she avoids his gaze. They come to the end of the high ridge and look out, a huge glade of trees rises above them.

"Caras Galadhon…" Haldir tells them with pride. "The heart of Elvendom on earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light."

_Later…_

The Fellowship climbs a winding stairway among the monstrous trees. It literally winds all around the bulk of the trees, leading up and up and up. They ascend the path until nightfall. Alice grumbles the entire away about never wanting to climb another single staircase again. Merry and Pippin giggle at her.

In the blue glow of a moonlit night, they climb a twisting stair around the trunk of a tree, past the glimmering lights of silver and blue. Alice imagines this is what the play; 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' should look like. All around them, she can see silver and blue lights across what must be hundreds of small platforms. Now she truly feels she is inside a fairy tale. Elves occasionally stop and stare at them, whispering soft things to each other. Not even Fingolfin can hear their words, so she has no idea whether they're saying kind or rude things about them… especially once they start staring openly at Alice's dress… or really, lack thereof. She's never felt more self-conscious about her pants (or trousers, really) than she does now.

Passing numerous platforms, they come to a great palace in the trees, lit with silvery lights. A curving walkway lies before them, leading up a low stair to an archway, which seems to be dusted gently with leaves. The nine of them turn slowly, and Haldir stands off to their side, towards the great archway before them. Aragorn stands in the center, two Hobbits on either side, with Legolas behind Frodo and Sam on his right and Gimli standing on the far side of the group, and Boromir standing on the far left side of the group next to Merry and Pippin. Alice stands behind the two youngest Hobbits, close to Boromir. She puts a hand on her sword hilt, ready for whatever comes next.

A glowing couple, hand in hand, descends from the staircase behind the archway. Everyone, with the exclusion of Alice who looks away out of mild jealousy of the woman's beauty, stares in awe. Fingolfin whispers for her to grow up in her mind, but she quickly quells him. Aragorn touches his forehead in greeting. The light dims, and the couple halts. The woman's eyes fixes on Frodo, but the man speaks.

"The Enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone." His gaze shifts over the entire Fellowship, and Alice refuses to meet his eyes. "Nine there are here, yet ten there were, set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him." As he speaks, the lady's gaze shifts to Aragorn, who looks up at her. "I can no longer see him from afar." There is no pause; the woman immediately picks up where her husband left off.

"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land. He has fallen into shadow." Aragorn's nod is almost imperceptible. The man looks at the woman.

"He was taken by both Shadow and Flame: a Balrog of Morgoth." Alice has never heard so much venom in Legolas' voice, and hopes she will never have to hear it again, "For we went needlessly into the net of Moria." Gimli's head bows in shame.

"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his whole purpose." She looks at Gimli, "Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dûm fill your heart, Gimli, son of Glóin." The Dwarf looks up as her words. "For the world has grown full of peril. And in all lands, love is now mingled with grief." Alice's grip on her sword tightens as the lady's gaze shifts now to Boromir, who looks up, blinking and swallowing. The two seem to have a momentary staring contest, which Boromir quickly loses, weeping. There's a brief pause.

"What now becomes of this Fellowship? Without Gandalf, hope is lost." The man says, and Alice decides to finally speak.

"No." She says, defiance in her voice. "I refuse to believe that." The Elf man turns to look at her, and she fixes her steely gaze upon him as well. "The future is not set in stone. Frodo makes the Fellowship, not Gandalf. His death was a setback, and we mourn the loss of our great friend, but we press on, we move forward, and continue our quest." The lady looks at her, a soft smile on her features. She nods.

"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all." Alice shifts her gaze to the woman, and sees Boromir do the same thing out of the corner of her eye, "Yet hope remains while the company is true." The woman now shifts her gaze again, this time looking at Sam, her smile returning. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will sleep in peace." Haldir goes to lead them away, but the woman speaks again, "Alice, daughter of Roxanne, stay a moment." She freezes. Boromir and Legolas both turn to look at her, both curious, and she gives a small shrug. She turns back around, and bows again before the lady. "You will stay in the rooms reserved for Lady Arwen. I know the two of you were friends. She would want you to have her room while you stay here." Uneasy, Alice looks away.

"I think I would rather stay with the Fellowship…" The lady nods.

"They need you more than they realize. You may stay with them until you go to retire, then go to Lady Arwen's rooms. Is this agreeable?" She thinks for a moment, then nods. The woman calls two women over. "This is Eletha Arabitylar, daughter of Nostalion, a descendant in a long line of healers who will tend to whatever wounds you may have, and Sitria, whose heritage is lost. She will keep you company."

Alice notices the strangeness of the second woman. Sitria has distinctly feline features. She even moves like a cat, her raven-black hair swaying as she shifts constantly from one foot to the other. Her fingernails, unlike any other Elf Alice has encountered, are long and sharp, coming to a point like a blade…. Or like a claw. Her eyes are a violet hue, or at least seem to reflect that way in the blue and silver light. She wears a modest purple dress, with grey robes over them as she has seen other Lórien Elves wear. The dress covers her feet so she cannot tell if the woman is barefoot as well.

It takes a second for her to peel her eyes off the strange woman so she can see the other. Eletha has bright blonde hair that's been put up in a braid with flowers, and goes down to her waist. She has intelligent, yet caring green eyes that seem to carry all the love in the world around inside them. Her features are defined, like most other Elves, but not to the extreme of the woman next to her, yet both are just as pale as the tall blonde woman that Alice has been speaking to. Both, however, are not as tall as the woman, but are still much taller than Alice.

"What may I call you, milady?" Alice says, turning back to the woman. She smiles softly.

"I am Lady Galadriel, and this is my husband, Lord Celeborn. We are the rulers of this realm." She curtsies.

"It was a pleasure meeting you both, thank you for your hospitality." Both nod in her direction politely, and then Sitria extends an arm in the direction the Fellowship went moments prior.

"Please, this way." Her deep, sensual, yet very quiet voice says. She notices that her words almost seem to purr when she talks. Sitria leads the way, and Eletha takes the rear, letting Alice walk in the middle again, not giving her very much time to observe the other Elves around her.

"_**Strange ones, these two."**_  
><em>"Should I keep an eye on them?"<br>__**"… No, I don't think so. Not, at least, on Eletha if she really is a healer. Unless she tries to give you something to drink. Sitria seems dangerous somehow, like a predator… But don't worry about it for now, let's just meet back up with the guys, eh?"  
><strong>__"Alright."_

It only takes a few minutes for them to reach the bottom, unlike the hours it took them to reach the top of the trees. Eletha and Sitria wait at the base of the stairs while Alice ventures out to see where everyone is.

"Alice!" Merry and Pippin call, seeing her at the same time. They both rush forward, leaving their pipes behind. Everyone turns to see Alice get knocked flat on her back.

"Ow! You two! Ugh, couldn't you have greeted me more cordially or something?" She says, trying to be angry, but laughing too hard as the two hug her. She hears the rest of the Fellowship chuckling. When she finally stands up, she sees Aragorn beckoning her, and she goes to sit with him and Gimli.

"What did the Lady want?" He asks, using a soft tone since Gimli's asleep. She shrugs.

"I was expecting a reprimand for having defied the judgment of Lord Celeborn, which, by the way, would have been nice if you guys would have informed these two were the Lords of this realm. I can only assume Haldir told you, but I must have not caught it." Aragorn just smiles, and begins sharpening his sword. "Anyway, no, the Lady wanted to give me Lady Arwen's personal rooms for my stay here." He stops mid-sharpen, and turns to look at her, shock clearly written on his face. Alice chuckles, "Yeah, that's what I said." He looks away, going back to his sword and shaking his head, his shocked expression turning into a smile.

"That is a great gift." She nods, and he abruptly smacks Gimli for snoring.

"Yeah, I got the feeling it was." There's a pause, and Alice leans her head on Aragorn's shoulder, making him stop sharpening. "I miss home. I miss my family, what very little I had. I miss Lord Elrond and Lady Arwen, and I even miss Gandalf, for as short a time as I knew them." The ranger doesn't say anything, but sits very still, listening. "I know I said that we have to press on and finish the quest, but… I'm scared, Aragorn. Back home, I never had to face anything like this before. I've never had to fight and kill. I can still see the head of every Orc Fingolfin has hacked off… I can still smell the blood." She looks up at him, tears in her eyes. "I just want to go home." He wraps an arm around her, and holds her for a moment, shushing her softly as the tears fall in silence.

"I am sorry that you had to be pulled along on this. You shouldn't have to be here, but it really is too late to stop that now. You are much too young for any of this. You shouldn't have to feel this kind of fear, or know this kind of hate." He holds up her chin to look at her. "But just know that if there's anything I can do to ease this new burden of yours, I will." She nods, and he wipes away her tears gently. "Now, why don't you go see what Boromir wants as I know he's been wanting to talk to you for some time, and about what I can pretty well guess. After that, say goodnight to Legolas and the Hobbits, come get me, and I'll walk with you up to your rooms. How does that sound?" She smiles up at him and nods again, wiping away a couple of more tears. "Be brave, Alice. There are still many miles ahead of us to go." He kisses her forehead, and she stands up, and wanders over to Boromir.

"Hey…" she says quietly to the Steward, coming over to where he sits on a large tree root by himself. He's been staring out into the distance, ignoring everyone, focusing on his thoughts. He turns sharply, surprised, and then stands up suddenly.

"H-… Hello." He says awkwardly, and then suddenly indicates to the tree root, "Care to join me?" He asks uneasily, trying to be casual but totally failing. She laughs, and nods. The two sit almost awkwardly close together, hips, thighs, and calves pressing against each other in the small space. He clears his throat after a pause, "What did the Lady tell you?"

"Oh, she um," she momentarily forgets, taken aback by how handsome he is with his face cleaned up at this close a distance, "She gave me a couple of rooms that were used by Lady Arwen, do you remember her? From Rivendell?" He nods, "Yeah, she had used them when she was here, and they're reserved for her, basically. So, since she's not here right now, Lady Galadriel decided to let me use them, somehow knowing it's what Arwen would have wanted." She says, shrugging at the end and grinning. He nods.

"Oh, that's good; at least you won't have to sleep on the ground like the rest of us." She grins bigger.

"There are advantages to being a woman." For the first time in a long time, he grins right at her, and she feels her heartbeat accelerate suddenly. She pats his cheek a couple of times. "I missed this." He looks curious, but still keeps smiling.

"Missed what?" She sighs, and looks into his eyes.

"This. You, when you're happy. You smiling at me, laughing with me, laughing at something I've said, some stupid little joke. It's been… weird. And I don't like it. I've been foolishly holding a grud-"he puts two fingers to her lips.

"Nothing you have done has been foolish. At least, nothing I'm aware of." She thinks back to a couple of times when he saw her goofing off, and gives him a look of disbelief. He grabs both sides of her face softly, "Nothing, Alice. I, however, have been a great fool. No, not even a fool. A jealous, spoiled, bratty child." He grins at her laughter, and then takes her hands into his lap. "Yes, I was listening when you… told us what was wrong." She opens her mouth to apologize for yelling, and he puts two fingers on her lips again, "No, don't. I don't want to hear your apologies, because they are completely unfounded. You were absolutely right in everything you said. I-… I wanted to apologize that moment. That exact moment when you started speaking and made your presence known," he shifts his weight and sits on his knees in front of her, still holding her hands but letting them rest in her own lap this time, "I would have gotten down on my knees just as I am now and groveled before you. I would have kissed your feet if you had asked it of me. I would have let you humiliate me in any and every way you could think of. But," he sighs, and glances away, "You were so angry. I didn't think it would do any good. I don't-"he stops, almost like the words got caught in his throat, and he still avoids eye-contact, "I'm not very good with women. And I'm not very good with expressing my feelings. As far as I am concerned, there are no women in all of Arda except the one that sits before me, who has completely and utterly stolen my heart from right out of my chest. You were so angry that day, so I did the foolish thing and actually thought about what to do, which is a very dangerous thing for me to do, I'll have you know." She laughs again at his joke, "I thought that maybe you should have some time alone. You asked me to stay away, so I did just that. But I waited too long. Too fast the day came that we left for Rivendell, and I was unable to have you alone again to apologize properly. I wish I could go back in time, and take back my words. Stop myself from ever saying what I did about you. I just thought, again, dangerous, that since we had proclaimed our love for each other that that meant that I was yours and you were mine… I didn't even think about Legolas. And then when I saw you outright flirting with him at dinner the night before, I just… lost it. I'm so sorry for what I did and said. If you can find it in your golden heart to forgive me, then I shall be as a slave to you. When you want me, I shall drop all and come, and when you are done with me, I shall just as happily go away. No matter who, or what, you choose."

She claps a hand to her mouth, tears running over, unable to speak. Part of her really wants to just kiss him, but she's never kissed Legolas before Boromir, and so she thinks she owes it to Legolas to not kiss Boromir in front of him. Instead, she drops to her knees, and hugs the Steward. She chokes back the sobs as he quickly wraps his arms around her, squeezing her tightly, afraid to let go.

"You were forgiven the minute you quoted me, Boromir." She whispers between the sobs. He puts his lips against her shoulder, and breathes in her scent.

"Thank the Valar," he responds, also very quiet, "I don't know if I could have gone one more day knowing you were still angry at me. It's been killing me inside." She laughs, and the two sit there for several quiet moments. When she pulls back, she kisses his cheek very quickly. The two stand up after another minute, him helping her up. "You should get some rest, we've had an exhausting day." She nods, and wraps her arms around his neck one more time, and he quickly snakes his around her waist. "I've missed you too, Alice." She backs up, and smiles at him.

"Come see me tomorrow?" He grins, and wipes away the drying tears.

"Wouldn't miss it." She nods, and then walks away.

Legolas stands as soon as she goes back into the small clearing the male part of the Fellowship have established camp in. She sees him, and smiles at the fact that he's neither glaring over her shoulder or looking at her with disdain. His expression is happiness attempting to cover jealously. He quickly walks over to her and the two hold hands and pulls their faces in close together.

"You have forgiven him?" He whispers so soft she's almost not sure that he spoke at all. She nods after a minute.

"It was far past time." He nods, accepting this answer.

"I'm…" He takes a small breath, "I'm happy for you. It must have been a strain, being angry at him in Moria while still being in such close proximity." She's surprised by this, and looks up at him, revealing her shock, "I've come to accept that there is as much of a chance for you to chose him as there is for you to chose me, and that there is very, very little I can do that will sway your decision. So, I have decided that your happiness is more important to me than my own, so if he makes you more happy than I, then I not only want you to chose him, I want you to chose him knowing that you have my blessing, and wishes for eternal happiness." Her eyes get even wider, if that's possible.

"You're… you're serious about this?" He sighs, his eyes shut, before nodding once. She reaches up and gently touches his cheek. "I'm very proud of you, Legolas. Thank you. I very much needed to hear that." He nods again, and kisses her cheek.

"I will be whatever you need me to be, friend or lover, and I will be happy in either roll just as long as I can be in your life." She nods, one tear escaping, which he hastily wipes away. "Goodnight, a'maelamin." Fingolfin whispers to her that it means 'my beloved'. "I love you very much." He says before kissing her cheek again.

"I love you too, Legolas. I'll see you tomorrow." He nods, and then lets go of her hands so she can walk away.

She quickly walks over to the Hobbits to say goodnight, each one demanding a hug from her. Frodo comes up to get his hug last, she tells him to be strong in his ear quietly, and he nods when they pull apart. She walks back over to the center of the clearing, and sees the Boromir has finally come over to join them. She speaks loud enough for them all – and the singing Elves above – to hear.

"When we were in Imladris," she begins, catching everyone's immediate attention, including the Elves, "Gandalf often taught me things of this world, as I'm not very familiar with it. Through his instruction, I know a great deal. One day, after answering one of my thousands of questions, he asked me to sing something that reminded me of a story he had told me that morning. I don't quite remember the names, but it was about two young Men, I believe of Rohan. They set out from their home to go hunt a band of Orcs that had been raiding nearby villages. The band was small, which is why only two of them set out. They searched for days, quickly running out of food and water. On the last day they could be out hunting before they had to turn back, they found the Orcs. Starving and desperate, they quickly attacked them. They just barely survived, and one was severely injured in the battle. His friend had to carry him over four miles, with what could barely be called bandages on his wounds to stop the bleeding, to the nearest village so he could receive proper medical care. The entire way, his friend kept telling him to simply 'hold on', that they would make it through this. When they arrived, he had lost so much blood he was almost dead, and the healers told his friend that if he had stopped to rest even once, that the injured man would have died." She takes a deep breath, "After I sang the song, Gandalf asked me to sing it three more times. After the fourth time, he proclaimed, very loudly might I add, that it was his new favorite song. He told me while we were in Moria that if it wasn't for the need of silence so that we could go unnoticed, he would have probably asked me to sing it several times, just to cheer everyone up." She sighs, "It was the last thing he ever said directly to me. I would like to sing it for you all tonight, in his memory." She glances at Aragorn, as though for permission, and he nods his head once. She sucks in some air, and starts the song. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees the ranger smack Gimli to get him to wake up.

"_You're not alone__  
><em>_Together we stand__  
><em>_I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand__  
><em>_When it gets cold__  
><em>_And it feels like the end__  
><em>_There's no place to go__  
><em>_You know I won't give in__  
><em>_No I won't give in"_ She looks over at Frodo.

_"Keep holding on__  
><em>_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through__  
><em>_Just stay strong__  
><em>_'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you__  
><em>_There's nothing you could say__  
><em>_Nothing you could do__  
><em>_There's no other way when it comes to the truth__  
><em>_So keep holding on__  
><em>_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through" _Her gaze washes over the Fellowship, giving each of them equal time.

_"So far away__  
><em>_I wish you were here__  
><em>_Before it's too late, this could all disappear__  
><em>_Before the doors close__  
><em>_And it comes to an end__  
><em>_With you by my side I will fight and defend__  
><em>_I'll fight and defend__  
><em>_Yeah, yeah_

_Keep holding on__  
><em>_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through__  
><em>_Just stay strong__  
><em>_'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you__  
><em>_There's nothing you could say__  
><em>_Nothing you could do__  
><em>_There's no other way when it comes to the truth__  
><em>_So keep holding on__  
><em>_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

_Hear me when I say, when I say I believe__  
><em>_Nothing's gonna change, nothing's gonna change destiny__  
><em>_Whatever's meant to be will work out perfectly__  
><em>_Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah"_ She sways softly with the next part.

_"La da da da__  
><em>_La da da da__  
><em>_La da da da da da da da da_

_Keep holding on__  
><em>_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through__  
><em>_Just stay strong__  
><em>_'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you__  
><em>_There's nothing you could say__  
><em>_Nothing you could do__  
><em>_There's no other way when it comes to the truth__  
><em>_So keep holding on__  
><em>_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through.__"_

She cuts the song short, unable to continue, as she is reminded too much of how happy the song made Gandalf. The tears fall for the umpteenth time that night, but this time she wipes them away herself. There's silence, and one pair of hands start clapping. She looks to her left, and sees Frodo applauding her, his face unreadable. The other three Hobbits quickly pick it up, all applauding, but the tears also falling down their faces. When she glances at Legolas, she sees his smile. She looks over to see Gimli, Aragorn, and Boromir also applauding her. The singing Elves above resume singing, but instead of the lament, they sing her words of encouragement, making her smile.

"_**You did very well. I'm proud of you."**_  
><em>"Thank you, it means a lot."<em>

Aragorn stands up from his place on his small cot, and walks over to her.

"Are you ready?" She looks around one last time, and he chuckles, "You'll see them in the morning." She laughs too.

"I know, but it'll be the first time since we left Rivendell that I haven't slept with nine loudly-snoring men around me. I've gotten kind of used to the racket." He rolls his eyes, and then grabs her by her arm.

"Come on, I'm sure you're going to be living in luxury while to the rest of us it will be as if nothing's changed." She laughs as he drags her along, and Sitria guides them back up the stairs to her rooms, the two mortals discussing anything and everything the entire way.

* * *

><p><strong>Ugh, my fingers are so sore, lol. Two 6,000 word chapters in two days. I had no idea this was going to be this long. Not even an inkling. Ah, well, I blame Boromir for it. Anyway, Alice's questions will be answer <em>next<em> chapter, as this was getting to be too long.**

**Luna - LOL! Ikr? The problem with having a guy and a girl in the same body is that it _totally_ messes up your pronouns, lolol. Thank you! =D**

**Gwilwillith - Hahaha, thank you! I'm glad you like it. Fingolfin is da bomb, lolz, and Aragorn is just an all around kind of awesome. XD**

**Song credits: "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne.**

**30 reviews and I'll put up a new chapter! =D**


	15. Chapter 14

**Okay, last chapter before I leave!... You guys are going to hate me for this. XD**

**Also, I've been kind of lying lately about something that needs to be in the disclaimer. So, I'm going to put that in now.**

**Disclaimer: All rights of ownership regarding all Lord of the Rings characters, places, and events belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson. I own only the character Alice. Sitria and Eletha belong to my two friends, Umbreon666 and Cali (who does not have an account on FF, so don't bother looking her up, lol). The character of Fingolfin belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien, but the idea of him inhabiting Alice's body during her stay in Middle Earth belongs to my older brother, Blade (that's the name he requested I use when putting this in here, lol. That's not his birth name. He also does not have an account on FF, so again, don't bother looking him up, lolol)**

**WARNING: Lots and lots of fluff in this chapter.**

When Alice awakes in the morning, she finds herself lying on what is possibly THE MOST COMFORTABLE BED IN ALL OF MIDDLE FREAKING EARTH…. That, of course, could be due to the fact that she's been sleeping on stony ground the last few days, and just dirt, rocks, and tree roots the month before.

She doesn't want to get up. At all. In fact, she wishes there was a way she could simply just live in this bed forever, and never be disturbed. But, unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. And come to an end it does, as Sitria (loudly) kicks the door open.

"Good morning, Lady Alice." She says as she pulls back the curtains, her voice soft as ever. Alice moans, not wanting to get up.

"Lady Galadriel informed us this morning of her wish to see you this evening, so we must prepare you." Eletha tells her in her light, springy voice as she pulls back the bed spread. "I have not yet had a chance to properly look at your wounds, since you fell asleep last night before I had a chance." Alice nods, and pulls her legs over the edge of the bed so she's sitting up straight.

Eletha carefully pulls Alice's nightgown over her head. She hears Sitria hiss in sympathetic pain, seeing a few large gashes that she got in Moria. Eletha addresses the most serious wound first, where a Goblin's arrow had struck her side, the head of it still inside of her flesh, pointing downwards. She couldn't honestly remember if she got that in the tomb of Balin or at Khazad-dûm, as Fingolfin was the one who felt the pain, not her, and he was still resting deep inside her subconscious. It was the only place he could go and be unaware of what Alice was doing, and he often retreated there to be alone when she slept or had a personal moment with Boromir or Legolas.

She hisses as Eletha carefully removes the arrow head, having to tear open the old wound to be able to get it out. The Elf woman apologizes quietly, but doesn't stop. When the entire thing is out, she quickly puts a bandage on as blood has begun to flow once more. Once it's stopped, she puts stitches in, wraps it in a clean bandage that has to circle around her stomach to stay on, and moves on to the next injury.

She spends the next hour repeating the process of tearing open wounds, normally with scissors, stopping the blood, cleaning it, putting in stitches, and placing a bandage. It's a slow and painful process, but worth it. When they finally get done, Alice asks why she bothered opening the wounds again, and Eletha tells her that it's because there could already be an infection in there so she has to clean it thoroughly, but that also, she can't put stitches in a wound that's already partially healed.*

During this time, Sitria is picking out Alice's dress and make-up. She ends up using her cla-… fingernails to actually tear several dresses. Sewing like a madwoman, she quickly pieces together the black parts of different dresses and makes one poofy black dress. She has to wear a corset under it, even though there's a corset-type design over the top that's silver in color. The skirt of the dress is made up of various other dresses that Arwen had left here, but hadn't been worn in what looked like years. Sitria has to fight Alice to get into it, as she thinks she'll look ridiculous in it, but finally she manages to get her in it, and has to stitch it up in the back to get her from taking it off.

She puts up Alice's hair in a black ribbon letting a couple of hairs in the front dangle down, and then uses a matching ribbon to tie downwards on her right arm from elbow to the wrist. The only piece of material on her shoulders is on her upper arms, which makes the top of the dress go across her chest in a straight line. The silver corset goes up over her left breast but stays underneath the right one. Some kind of black material makes up the shoulder, chest, underneath the corset, and down the second layer of the layered skirt. The skirt itself has several layers, beginning with the bottom of the very long silver corset, which ends in tatters, a simple black layer beneath that which also ends in tatters, and then very even layers of various types of material, all black, underneath. **

Sitria, satisfied with what she sees goes on to make up and accessories. She puts a kind of black powder on her eyes to make them shadow-y. Noticing that Alice has double piercings and left in her old hoops from when she left her home this whole time (but occasionally taking them out to clean them when she has the chance), so the holes are still very much open, she takes out the old hoops to put in new, smaller ones. She applies a very, very light pink powder on her cheeks to give her a small blush, waxes her eyebrows to make them straight, and then puts a necklace on her. The necklace is a simple black band that's so tight it's almost a choker, with small pearls that hang off of tiny strings all the way around.**

There's a knock on the door just as Sitria finishes putting the necklace on. Eletha goes to get it. Alice doesn't hear the Elf woman greet whoever's at the door, but feels her spine stiffen at the voice that responds. She'd recognize Boromir's deep voice anywhere. Eletha starts to tell him that Alice is busy and can't be disturbed right now when she gets up from the vanity where Sitria has had her sitting for the last half hour (for the sake of putting on all this make up), and runs across the room to stop Eletha from turning Boromir away.

"Eletha!" She says, quickly pushing her away from the door, and then realizing that Boromir's spotted her and is blatantly staring with his eyes roaming over her over and over, stops and holds very still, her hand still on the Elf's shoulder. She doesn't see Eletha's eyes go back and forth very quickly between the two. She curtsies, excuses herself quietly, grabs Sitria, and drags her out another door that leads somewhere Alice hasn't been yet… "Um… hi." She says quietly, reaching up and putting her hair behind her ear. He doesn't respond for what feels like several minutes.

"What?" He finally says, shaking his head and forcing his eyes to meet hers. "Oh, good morning Alice." His eyes roam over her one more time, and she blushes a slight pink, thankful for the makeup that hides it, "Your dress…. Where did you get that? It's," he clears his throat, "masterfully crafted." She puts a few fingers to her lips as she giggles.

"One of my handmaids made it from Lady Arwen's old dresses." She says, looking up at him from underneath her eyelashes. He clears his throat, closes his eyes for a minute, and then extends a hand when he opens his eyes again.

"Would you care to join me for breakfast? I heard Sam is making bacon." He says as though it's the most amazing thing in the world, making her laugh as Sam has made bacon for every meal for the last month.

"That sounds most delectable, my Lord," she responds very formally, spins around, grabs the whistle she's been carrying with her since Rivendell, and then turns back to take his hand. "I would be most delighted to join you." He laughs at her formality, and then taking her arm in his, leads her back down the stairs to the forest floor.

When they get there, everyone has started without them, and don't even notice their presence at first, until Sam spots them.

"Oh! Sorry Alice, we would have waited, we just didn't know how long you two would be." They all turn at the sound of her name, and spot the two walking up arm in arm…. And all stare, very, very openly. She stops in her tracks, blushing furiously at the sudden stares and attention. Part of her admonished for it, saying she should be used to it, but she responds that she never thought she would see those kinds of stares on the other members of the Fellowship.

"I know, doesn't she look lovely?" Boromir says, laughing at their faces, and then taking a step back so he doesn't intrude upon their staring. She whacks his arm, and she hears Fingolfin laughing for the first time that day.

"_About time you woke up, where you been?"  
><em>_**"Wasn't interested in watching you change clothes, thank you very much. Although it's nothing I haven't felt before, it's not anything I really need to see. I'd like for there to be some kind of privacy between us, for the Valar's sake."**_

"Don't worry about it, Sam," she says after a full minute, "Wouldn't be the first time you guys let me sleep in and then also let me miss breakfast." Sam's the first to recover, and rolls his eyes before getting back to his food. Merry and Pippin suddenly look at each other with a mischievous smile, and then stand up, and run over to her.

"Please, Lady Alice," Pippin says as each Hobbit takes one of her arms.

"It would be improper for you to not be escorted to breakfast," Merry continues as the trio begins walking forward.

"Let us escort you!" Pippin again, finishing the sentence. Everyone laughs as she sits down in the spot they left for her, between Aragorn and Boromir. The former had saved her a plate, and quickly hands it to her.

"My goodness, you would think that just because I'm wearing a dress that I'm a lady or something. With the way you two act," she says, indicating to Merry and Pippin, "You almost wouldn't believe that just yesterday I was killing Orcs left and right."

"You weren't," Aragorn says between mouthfuls, "Fingolfin was, if I recall correctly." Gimli roars at this.

"Aye, lassie! That Elf lord, he's strong as steel!" The Dwarf says, "But yer not so tough on yer own," he finishes, pointing his fork in her direction with a smile. In the time it takes for him to move his eyes from the woman sitting across from him back to his plate, there's a freezing cold sword being pressed into his throat. He gasps (along with everyone else), and drops his fork.

"Not so tough, is she?" Fingolfin says one hand on one of Boromir's knees to keep balance as he has to stretch across the Steward for the sword to reach Gimli. "I would be careful, Master Dwarf; this young woman isn't someone to be trifled with." There's a long pause, everyone waiting to see what would happen next, when Fingolfin slowly smiles. He pulls back, and puts Ringil away.

"For a moment there, I believed you were going to kill me, Master Elf!" Gimli tells him, and Fingolfin laughs.

"No, no, that's entirely not possible. Alice would hate me forever, for starters, and on top of that, my duty is to protect her from danger, one of which you are not, as you would never dare to hurt dearest Alice… would you?" He responds, quirking an eyebrow, and no one misses the very thinly veiled threat in his words.

"No, never." The Dwarf responds quickly, "Unless she deserved it!" He finishes, laughing, and the immortal Elf inside the mortal woman joins him. He closes his eyes.

"I wish he wouldn't do that…" Alice says, coming back into control and opening her eyes back up. She grabs the discarded plate that Fingolfin had abandoned, and resumes eating. She sees Aragorn staring at her for a long minute, just smiling. Finally, he laughs to himself, and shaking his head, goes back to his own food. As she finishes eating, a thought dawns on Alice. She looks up at Frodo abruptly.

"Hey, Frodo?" She asks.

"Yes, Alice?" He responds, a slightly amused tone in his voice.

"Have you ever heard of tongue twisters?" All sound around them stops, aside from the ones made by nature and the Elves high above in the trees. There's a pause.

"Pardon me?" He says, giving her a strange look.

"Tongue twisters!" She exclaims, and then holds up her hands, "Okay, hang on, let me think of one." There's another pause as the eight men around her glance at each other with slight trepidation, having no idea what she's talking about. "Okay! Got one." She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and focuses on every word as she pronounces them.

"_She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore.__  
><em>_The shells she sells are sea-shells, I'm sure.__  
><em>_For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore__  
><em>_Then I'm sure she sells sea-shore shells."_

She recites the poem with some effort, often tripping over 'shells' and 'sells', at one point stopping and starting over to make certain she says it right. When she opens her eyes, having completed the poem, she laughs at the confused expressions of the Fellowship.

"Who are you talking about?" Boromir asks after a moment.

"How do you have all of that memorized?" Legolas also asks before she can answer.

"Why do you have all of that memorized?" Aragorn also asks, and she laughs at his question.

"In order of questions asked, no one, it's a tongue twister." Not seeing any change in their expressions, she sighs, "It's like a poem that's made to be very difficult to say."

"Why would you want that?" Merry asks, and Alice laughs again.

"Basically to just laugh at other people as they mess up. But, for the other two questions, I haven't told very many people this, but when I was a little girl, I had what we call back home a 'speech impediment'." The confused looks return. "It means I had a very hard time being able to talk properly. I would stutter over words, especially when I was nervous or afraid. So, to help me get over them, my Mom gave me a book of tongue twisters, with five really hard ones already picked out. Every night after dinner, she would give me…" she suddenly stops, remembering that they don't use dollars for currency, "five silver coins. Every time I messed up, she would take away a coin. After a couple of months, I would go to bed with all five coins, having never messed up. When I did this five nights in a row, she told me I didn't have to do it anymore." She looks between each member of the Fellowship while she talks, ending by looking at a smiling Boromir. He laughs, shaking his head.

"What's that phrase you always use when you think something's great? Not cold, but…" he trails off, trying to think.

"Cool?" Alice offers, and he nods. "You think my Mom using tongue twisters to teach me to stop stuttering is cool?"

"Very cool." He says, nodding again and grinning. She smiles back.

"Lady Alice." Calls a sharp, slightly familiar voice from behind. She spins around quickly, ending up with one hand having to hold her up and her basically on her knees, and sees Haldir standing a few feet behind her. "Every member of my family has been instructed to play the violin. I have been informed that you are also learning the instrument. As most of my family have gone over the seas, it has been some time since I have been able to play with anyone who can truly enjoy the instrument as much as I… If you are willing, I would like to teach you." She considers this for a moment, and then nods.

"Sounds fun, when would you like to begin?" There's not a moment's hesitation.

"Immediately, if you are not otherwise occupied." She thinks for another minute.

"I had some stuff I wanted to do today, so as long as this doesn't take all flippin' day, sounds great." She stands up quickly, and dusts off her dress. "Gentlemen, it was a pleasure having breakfast with you." She says before giving a low curtsy. All the guys laugh, and then bow their heads in her direction. She walks over to Haldir, and he offers her his arm, which she glances at before taking it with a smile. She doesn't hear Aragorn making a comment about 'yet another suitor' beneath his breath.

_Three hours later…_

Alice wanders back into the camp, and sees most of the Fellowship laying around, reading, smoking, or talking quietly to each other. Legolas, who has been sitting and talking to a smoking Aragorn very quietly, spots her first, stands, and walks over to greet her. He quickly takes her hands in his owns, and pulls her face in close as he did the night before. She stands on the balls of her feet so he doesn't have to bend over quite so far to reach her. The tips of their noses barely touch. For a moment they don't speak, they simply stare and enjoy the presence of each other, letting the other get a full whiff of them. They don't notice the ranger behind them staring at them with a smile on his face, happy to see them be able to find love in such hard circumstances.

"My fingers are so sore right now." She says with a small laugh after their moment of silence. He picks up her right hand with both of his, and massages the red fingers gently. She laughs inaudibly, shaking her head.

"What?" He asks, whispering.

"Your touch is so soft, I'm not sure if you're even really touching me." He presses into her cut up fingers a little harder, and she hisses in pain.

"That's why." He says a small smirk on his lips. He kisses her fingers. "Forgive me, a'maelamin, for hurting you." She uses her other hand to wave it off.

"Already forgotten." He kisses her hand again.

"I was beginning to think you had been kidnapped by Haldir, and were being escorted some place far away where I would never find you." He tells her smiling. She giggles.

"I was starting to think he was never going to release me." They both laugh a little. "Lady Galadriel wants to speak with me this evening after dinner." He looks curiously down at her, "I'm hoping she'll have some answers for my questions." He kisses her forehead.

"Do not worry, a'maelamin, she will. Or will at least give you her best guess, which is better than most people's definite answer." She laughs again. "Will you walk with me? Tonight, after your meeting with the Lady?" She smiles up at him.

"Of course I will. Tonight, then?" He nods, kisses her cheek, and then walks back over to Aragorn, who had been looking over a map and trying to not listen to give them some privacy. A throat is cleared behind Alice, and she spins around to see Boromir standing a few feet behind her.

"Well, if he's taking you on a walk tonight, may I walk with you now?" He says with a small smile. Crossing her left arm across her chest and putting a finger on her right hand to her chin, she contemplates this.

"I don't know, I have so many appointments today. Several engagements, four other walks aside from Legolas' this evening." Hearing his name, the Elf looks up, and Boromir gives Alice a fake-surprised look.

"How many suitors do you have?" She tries very hard to keep a straight face, and Legolas is chuckling from where he sits underneath a tent with Aragorn.

"Oh, dozens! I'm pretty important here, I'll have you know." She walks forward and takes the arm offered to her, "You could almost call me a Princess." She's smiling widely at this point, remembering how it was her childhood dream to be a Disney princess.

"Well, then maybe I should start calling you Princess Alice all the time, how does that sound?" The two walk out of the camp, arm in arm, strolling underneath the monstrous Lothlórien trees. Alice considers his proposition.

"That would be…" she sighs happily, blinking several times, "stupendous, actually." Boromir laughs loudly, and before he can say anything, she quickly explains, "Where I come from, there aren't very many monarchies. Actually, my country is a democracy... or so we tell ourselves. But that's beside the point. A lot of little girls, myself included, dream of being a real Princess one day. It's considered to be like, the greatest achievement to marry – or be born into – royalty of some kind. Thinking one day Prince Charming will come along, sweep us off our feet, and take us away into his magic castle where we will live happily ever after." She tells him, using wide, sweeping hand gestures to show the extravagance of the childish dream. She thinks for a minute, "Actually, it's really a dream that never goes away. It just kind of changes. Instead of wanting to marry 'Prince Charming', since we're told by our parents there's no such guy for years and years, we just want to marry someone who's rich and will make us happy." She scoffs, "As if having riches will make you happy!" She rolls her eyes. "Anyway, so my point was, you offering to call me 'Princess Alice' all the time… it just reminded me of when I was little." She looks up at Boromir, and realizes he has a hurt expression. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I'm not exactly a Prince, Alice… Legolas is." She rolls her eyes, and waves off what he says.

"Prince, Sminsch. It's just a title. I mean, think about it. Does your father rule over Gondor?" He pauses, trying to figure out where she's going with this.

"Yes…" he answers after a minute.

"Well, then you're a prince. Just a different type of prince. Another title for what's basically the same thing. Besides," she stops near one of the massive-diameter-trees, holds his hands, and turns to look at him in the face, "Do you honestly believe that I fell in love with you because you're a prince?... Steward? Whatever? You or Legolas?" He stops to think about this.

"I guess not."

"No, because to me, your titles mean nothing. I just got here eight months ago. I didn't grow up here. It doesn't make any difference to me if you're a Steward of Gondor, a Prince of Mirkwood, a Hobbit of Hobbiton, or even a Dwarf of the Lonely Mountain." She uses her right hand to cradle the side of his face. "I love you, Boromir. Not the Steward of Gondor." She starts laughing, "Whether you like it or not!" He grins and laughs with her.

"I guess you're right. Thank you for reminding me of that, Alice." He leans down and kisses her on the cheek.

"Anytime."

She spends most of the afternoon exploring the forest floor of Lothlórien with Boromir, missing lunch entirely. They eventually decide to return to camp, only to find out that the Fellowship had been invited to dine with the Lord and Lady of Lothlórien that evening. She asks Gimli to escort her to dinner, to which he's quick to comply, but asks her why after. She pulls him away from everyone else, and tells him that honestly, it's because she hates being escorted by Aragorn or Boromir, because they make her feel so incredibly short. He laughs, nods understandingly, and tells her he would be happy to escort her to dinner that night, much to her relief.

Dinner comes and goes easily, no one really talking... well, no one talks loudly. Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel share the head of the table, and Frodo and Legolas sit on either side of them. Alice sits further down the table from them, between the three Hobbits (Sam closest to her, who was happy to talk all through dinner about… well, what they were eating, and trying to figure out how they made it) and Gimli (who was more than happy to talk all through dinner about the history of his family when she asks). She's half surprised, by the end of dinner that she managed to get through the whole ordeal without being asked to sing something for them. Considering it, she decides she would have probably sang "On My Own" from _Les Misérables_, as it suits her voice the best out of any song, and she felt the need to impress the Lady and Lord for some odd reason.

Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn stand first, and then everyone else stands after they do. Lord Celeborn thanks them for joining them for dinner, and then Lady Galadriel asks if she may speak with Alice in private. She quickly gives her consent, and the Lady walks – no, glides – over to her, offers Alice her left arm, and then the two walk out.

**I LIED! I'm a horrible, horrible person. Next chapter, Alice finds out the truth regarding her destiny and her past, and the Fellowship leaves Lothlórien.**

***I'm not very familiar with medical techniques when it comes to this kind of thing, but I do know that for doctor's to be able to put in stitches, they have to put them in basically right away. If you wait two or three days, you've already begun to heal on your own, and they won't put them in, so that's why I had Eletha reopen the wounds.**

****Go check out my profile for the dress I described here. There's a link near the bottom.**

**Okay, wow, I not only got 30 reviews like I asked, I got 32! You guys ROCK! =D**

**I hope to see 40 when I get back! LOL, jkjk. XD**

**Umbreon666 - Thank you, and thank you again for letting me use her. Thanks! Maybe I'll be famous for this! LOLOL. XD**

**aandm20 - Thank you so much, and thanks for reviewing! =D**

**Luna - LOL! I was swooning while I was writing all that out, lololol. You know you're the only person that mentioned his apology, and that was the part that took me the longest to write? Geez, he gets no love from you guys! XD**

**Gwilwillith - Wow, really? That's awesome! I'm glad to hear that! =D  
>I can see where you might think she's based on the chesire cat... Actually, I can *really* see where you might think that, lol, since everything about Alice is based so heavily off Alice in Wonderland. She really just kind of spurred from my imagination. She's based off my friend, Umbreon666, who's really into cats, and even had a picture done of a black cat that had the soul of a winged purple tiger imbued in it (it's kinda hard to describe... you'd have to see it to get what I mean, lol). So, I just took how I knew she loves purple and cats, and that she needs to be an Elf, and out came Sitria.<strong>

**Emily - Oh, thank you so much! Please don't cry! =(**

**Thank you all so much for all the support! I'll see you guys in a couple of weeks! =D (for anyone who's curious: I'm going to Yellowstone National Park)**

**Even though I won't be here to read them, don't forget to review! =D**


	16. Chapter 15

**This is my longest chapter yet, well over 7,000 words, boosting my story up to over 60,000 words.**

**Disclaimer: All rights to Lord of the Rings are property of J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson. I own Alice, and Umbreon666 and Cali own Sitria and Eletha.**

* * *

><p>Galadriel gently leads Alice by the arm down a long stairway, silvers and blues glancing off their skin as they walk… or in the Elf's case, glide. When they reach the bottom, Alice observes statues of the Lady, that guard the stairs, and a small stream inside an aqueduct sits across from them. Between them and it is a pedestal, on top of which sits a shallow silver basin. On the edge of the aqueduct is a tall, silver pitcher, which is simple yet elegant in design. The Lady releases her arm, and then goes over to the pitch, letting it fill full inside of the stream.<p>

"Will you look into the mirror?" She asks in her soft voice. Alice recalls this scene from the movie. She expects some kind of warning from Fingolfin, but he has withdrawn entirely, apparently feeling she should see what is about to happen alone. She clenches her fists at her sides, wary with distrust, having no reason except the hospitality of the Lady to trust her.

"And what will I see if I look into your mirror?" She asks, her wariness showing in her tone.

"You do not trust me." It's not a question. Galadriel takes the now full pitcher, and holding it high above the basin, pours the water in. "You are wise in this. I have given you no true reason to trust me, aside from my word. You know that trust and respect are things earned, never deserved." Alice nods slowly. Galadriel looks down into the water, and answers her question, "Not even the wisest of all can tell, for the mirror shows many things. Things that were, things that are, and things that have not yet come to pass." Skepticism shows on Alice's face, as she does not believe in fate. However, not wishing to dishonor her hostess, she slowly walks over to the pedestal.

She peers carefully into the glossy surface. At first, all she sees is her own reflection. After a moment, a figure appears. It's Boromir. His sword is drawn, and he's fighting Orcs. He looks at Alice, an apologetic look on his face, when an arrow goes through his shoulder. He presses on, continuing to fight. Horror fills her as she watches arrow after arrow go into his body, until he can no longer stand. Before he collapses, the image shifts. Frodo stands on the edge of a black cliff, the Ring on its chain, dangling over the edge. Flames and soot occasionally leap up from over the edge, and it takes her all of two seconds to realize he's standing on Mount Doom, ready to destroy the Ring. Hope causes her heart to leap into her throat, and she notices on the edge of the glossy surface is Sam, cheering Frodo on. Both are beaten up, scraped up, covered in dirt, soot, and other unidentifiable things, and look very tired. Frodo stops, and turns to look at Sam, having not yet released the Ring. He says something that she can't hear to Sam, takes the Ring off its chain, puts it on, and disappears. Horror, again, fills her as she sees all this. The surface changes one more time, and Aragorn's dead body lays on a tall white tree, which burns from the roots up. Legolas stands next to Gimli as the two are surrounded by Orcs, trying to stay alive, but are hugely outnumbered. Merry and Pippin are somewhere Alice has never seen, but based on how it looks, she assumes it must be the Shire… except it's on fire. She recognizes some buildings as old fashioned factories, and she watches as Merry and Pippin, who are bound, bleeding, sobbing, and covered in ash, are lead into the factories.

Alice grabs the basin by its sides, and shoves it off the pedestal so hard it makes her fall backwards as well. She lays there for several minutes, not sobbing or crying like she expected herself to be, but covered in sheens of sweat. She brings up an arm and wipes the sweat off from around her eyes and mouth. Galadriel stands, unmoving, untouched by the horrors, staring at Alice from where she lays.

"No more…" she whispers after a long moment, knowing the Lady can hear her, "No more. I will not watch my friends suffer and die any longer. I cannot."

"I know what you have seen," Galadriel responds, "For it has also been in my mind. It's the future, Alice. This is what will happen should you fail." There's a pause, Alice trying to subside the fear she just felt. "The Fellowship is breaking Alice, even you, in your almost blind optimism, must see this. It has already begun." There's a moment of silence.

"I can't do anything about it, can I?" Galadriel shakes her head. "Then why tell me this?"

"So that you may prepare. You have already been sensing that there is something amiss. Your instincts have been honed by the events which transpired in your childhood." She looks up at Galadriel.

"What is my task?" The Lady pauses, smiling. "You said if I fail. To destroy the Ring is not my task, it is Frodo's."

"You do not realize this, but you have already completed your task."

_"Wait… HUH?"_

"This is not the story from the books that you know. This is a different reality. You would know this as a 'alternate universe' from the truth. In the true story, the creature Gollum bites off Frodo's finger, and falls into the fires of Mount Doom, destroying the One Ring." Alice's face contorts into slight disgust, remembering how Mirana used to say that the end of the Lord of the Rings was kinda nasty. "The Valar have already foreseen what will come to pass. In this reality, Samwise Gamgee kills Gollum before they ever arrive at Mount Doom. Because of this, no one is there to stop Frodo as Sam no longer as the courage to go on. What the Fellowship does not realize is that they are called the 'Fellowship', because not only are they there to protect Frodo, they are there to encourage him by befriending him. This courage helps him, and Sam, carry on to the end. In this reality, they needed that one extra person who would know exactly what to say, or in some cases, sing. You were that person."

"Why?" Alice says, and Galadriel looks at her curiously, "Why me? And more importantly, why wasn't I told this before?"

"I only told you what task you were to complete while you are here. This is not why you are here."

"… Pardon?" The Lady smiles.

"You are here because, as the healers of your time would say, your DNA is completely unique."

"Woah, woah, woah, how the heck do you know what DNA is?" She smiles wider.

"The Valar have granted me all the knowledge I would need to explain to you fully what your task is here, and why you are here. While I do not understand what these terms mean, you do, so I was simply given what I would need so that you may understand more fully." Alice nods slowly, "Your DNA is unique. In your world, there is a rare phenomenon that occurs once a year. It causes someone with the correct DNA to travel through space and time into different worlds. Among some of the peoples who have this uniqueness are names you may know, such as J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Gene Roddenberry, among others. When they returned from their adventures, they wrote down all that they saw, learned, and experienced. The Valar foresaw that you will go to many of these worlds, as it is your destiny to aid them when they need you most, during times of war. But you will not go to the same world that the people you know of went to; you will be going to slight variations. The difference causes them to fail, and you must be wise enough to set it right. Because of this, the Valar brought you here, to prepare you. In your world, you learned what it means to be strong. You now can persevere beyond that which most men, mortal or immortal, can stand. Here, you must learn what it means to be brave, to love, and to protect utter strangers. You must learn war. These will all be things that will aid you in your journeys." There's a pause as she digests all this.

"So, you're telling me that I'm here to learn how to be a hero, because I'm going to have to become one later on, because I'm going to fight in several more wars?" Galadriel nods.

**_"Woulda told you sooner, kid, but it was forbidden by the Valar."_**

"Why now? Why wait until now to tell me?"

"If you had been told sooner, you would have never accepted it." She sighs, knowing this is true. She stands up.

"What must I do?" Galadriel smiles.

"For one so small, you have a very big heart." Her smile fades. "There is nothing that you can do now, except simply do all that you can to aid in the oncoming war. Your path and Frodo's are soon to split apart. You must choose your destiny. One choice will lead to the fall of the Mark of Rohan. The other will lead to their redemption." Alice's face shows a moment of fear, before she closes her eyes, and feels her resolve harden.

"I will not fail, Lady Galadriel."

_Later…_

Sitria stands behind Alice, who sits at the vanity, braiding her hair quietly. Eletha has already retired, having to attend to her children. It's the quietest the mortal woman has ever been since arriving the other day, but Sitria knows it's not her place to question her lady. The only thing she said when she came in was she was expecting Legolas later that evening. From what the elder Elvish woman knows, Alice hasn't even gone to see any of the members of the Fellowship since her meeting with Galadriel. This worries her, but again, she knows her place, and says nothing.

Instead of the formal gown, Alice now wears a simple black nightgown with two buttons in the middle to keep it from just falling open, as the only thing she wears underneath is a corset.

"Thank you." The catlike woman almost jumps in surprise. The statement is so soft, that for just a moment, she thought for sure that she hadn't heard anything, because there was no way she could speak so softly. After a moment, she remembers that this is no ordinary woman, and decides that she probably did speak.

"For what, my lady?" She asks quietly, wondering what she could have done.

"For attending to me so faithfully even though we're barely acquaintances. But, most importantly, for not asking any questions." Alice responds just as softly as before.

"It is not my place to ask questions unless given permission. If you wanted me to know, you would have told me. And I am grateful for your compliment." There's a pause. "Milady, may I ask you a question?"

"Certainly."'

"Why do you treat me as though I am your equal?" Alice is taken aback by this.

"Pardon?"

"I am often treated as an outcast for being the way I am. Yet you not only do not treat me as an outcast, you treat me as though there is nothing wrong with me." The woman turns in her chair to look directly at Sitria's face.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, Sitria. Just because you're different, special, unique, whatever, it does not mean that there's something wrong with you. Understood?" Sitria is now surprised at what could almost be taken as a rebuke. This was not the answer she was expecting.

"Yes, milady." Alice sighs, though Sitria doesn't know why.

"When Legolas comes, you may go home." She nods, and continues to braid her lady's hair.

_A half hour later…_

Someone knocks at Alice's door, and Sitria goes to check. Seeing Prince Legolas standing there, she turns back, tells Alice, pulls down the covers for the bed, and then leaves out a back door.

"Good evening, Prince Legolas." Alice says as she steps outside. He has a very worried expression, but hearing her formal tone, he quickly understands, and pulls out a poker face to win a tournament.

"Good evening, Lady Alice. Would you care to take that walk?" She curtsies, and he bows.

"I would be delighted." He takes her arm, and leads her away from listening ears. They descend to the forest floor where the lamenting Elves above cannot hear, and too far away from the Fellowship to be found out.

"We are safe, here, as long as we stay quiet." Legolas whispers to Alice, and as soon as she's done nodding at his statement, she's in his arms, sobbing quietly. He holds her gently, whispering soothing noises. "Tell me, a'maelamin, what happened?" Forcing the tears back, she looks up into Legolas' eyes.

"It was awful, Legolas. She asked me to look into her mirror, and I saw… I saw…" The sobs threaten to overtake her, and she trails off from the fear of what she saw.

"What did you see?" He asks softly, and then tells her she may take her time. She looks at him again.

"Pain and suffering. Death. I watched as the Fellowship failed, and the consequences of those actions." His eyes widen. "I watched Frodo take the Ring. I watched as Aragorn's body was burned atop a white tree. I watched Merry and Pippin be lead into a factory to become slaves to the fires within. I watched…" her voice catches in her throat as she thinks of what she saw happen to him. "I watched as you and Gimli and Boromir were surrounded by Orcs… there were so many of them…" He clutches her close to him, letting her sob into his chest.

He backs them up slowly, and sits on the forest floor against a tree. He cradles her in his lap, letting her cry. He refuses to let the pain in her words register in his system, as she needs him to be strong now. He rubs her back softly, not certain what to say. What do you say to a prophecy of your death? As he thinks, Alice's sobbing slows.

"She told me about why I'm here. Apparently it's to learn how to be a hero." He looks at her oddly.

"But didn't you tell me that there really are no heroes, at least not as I know them, in your world?" She suddenly shuts up, her eyes betraying the nervousness the rest of her face refuses to show. "Alice? What did she say?"

"I don't need to be a hero in my world… because I'm going to be a hero in several others. Worlds neither you nor I could possible imagine or comprehend. But I have to go there. These worlds are in peril, and apparently, I'm the only one who can save them." His face becomes bewildered.

"Why you, Alice?" Realizing that the real answer would be way too hard to explain, she instead chooses a different answer.

"Because I can persevere. I grew up having to take pain beyond that which most men will come across in their entire lifetimes. I can take what most can't. I will be able to endure these trials." It's a lie, but it's one that he buys. "I think you and I falling in love was kind of an extra thing. Not something that was actually planned." She touches Legolas' cheek so he looks over at her from where he's been staring at the ground in front of him in confusion, "Legolas, I want you to know that no matter what happens, no matter where I go or who I meet, no matter what happens to me here, there, or anywhere… I will always love you, and I will always be trying to find a way back here to you, do you understand me?" He stares into her eyes with an unreadable expression, "If I have to chase you from here to Valinor and back, I will find my way back to you. This is my oath to you, Legolas Greenleaf, son of King Thranduil of Mirkwood." He hugs her tightly, and in that position they remain for most of the night.

_The next morning…_

Aragorn knows something's up.

After dinner last night, Alice disappears with Lady Galadriel, not to be heard from again for the rest of the evening, leaving the eight men to basically pace around wondering what they could be talking about. Finally, Legolas gets too upset about the absence of their female friend, and decides to go to her room upstairs to search for her…. And doesn't return until dawn. Not only does he not return until dawn, he's quiet, sullen, and very grim-faced, which is so the opposite of normal Legolas that something has to be wrong. When he doesn't coming running over to tell him (since Aragorn was the only one awake at the time), but instead climbs into bed and actually falls asleep, he deduces that Alice must have not chosen Boromir instead of Legolas. He knows this because the Elf Prince did not come and cry on his shoulder for several hours. So, he's not upset due to a broken heart. Which means he must have found Alice, but she told him something so grave and upsetting, that he had to stay there, most likely to comfort her, until daylight when he finally comes sneaking back into camp.

Something's wrong, and as the new leader of the Fellowship, it's Aragorn's responsibility to know what it is…

…

Okay, no, that's not why he's donning his ranger cloak and sneaking off in the morning sun to find the girl who's stolen his best friend's heart. It's because he cares about Alice. Not in the same way Boromir and Legolas do, but in the same way he cares about the Elf Prince, or about Elladen and Elhroir, the twin brothers of Arwen. He considers Alice to be one of his very, very few friends. Being a ranger, he's never really had time for friends, or interest in making them as it would be too easy for him to slip up just once and accidentally reveal something to a servant of the Enemy. He could not stand that to be on his conscious. Really, the only friends he's ever had have been Legolas, the twins, and… Gandalf. He dry swallows at the thought of the wizard, and quickly pushes his emotions aside. He focuses his thoughts back on Alice. She's from another world entirely, and seems to have not only the blessings, but the full support of Lord Elrond and Gandalf. To have those is to be considered a true friend of all the Free Peoples of Middle Earth, and therefore, a friend of Aragorn's.

He jumps down from a higher ledge, and softly lands on Alice's roof. Unless her Elvish handmaids are in there, which he doubts, she probably didn't hear him. He slips inside a window that isn't facing the sun. Glancing around, he sees that her room is basically empty, aside from the slightly moving form of a body inside the bed. Nearing it, he realizes it's Alice, who's cheeks are stained with tears and she's fast asleep. Sighing, he turns the chair at the vanity around, sits in it, and lights his pipe. He contents himself to smoke until she awakens.

_A few hours later…_

Alice awakes slowly, her body screeching at her for having stayed up so late the night before and then still expecting to get up at a decent time. She opens one eye and is surprised to see that the sun has long since risen. Normally, Sitria and Eletha come just an hour after sunrise to wake her, as they themselves get up at dawn. Then it hits her. Smoke. And not holy-crap-something-is-on-fire smoke, but tobacco smoke. She opens her eyes, and expecting the Hobbits, sits up with a rebuke on her lips. The rebuke dies right there, as she sees not a Hobbit, but a ranger sitting in her vanity chair smoking a pipe.

"Good morning, Alice." She points at the long pipe with a finger.

"You do realize that inhaling tobacco smoke all the time will eventually come back around to haunt you when you're older, right?" He shrugs, and she rolls her eyes, muttering something like 'typical' underneath her breath.

"What happened last night?" He says as she turns to sit on the edge of her bed. She stops, not scared by him as he half expected, but just simply stops.

"Just go in for the kill, eh?" He looks at her curiously, not understanding the phrase, "It means you're just going to ask whatever it is that's on your mind instead of fiddling about with pleasantries and such first, aren't you?" He smiles this time, understanding settling in.

"You know me, Alice." She chuckles, and then her face turns grim. "Legolas had that exact expression on his face when he returned to camp this morning." She scratches the back of her head.

"Yeah, he probably did." She closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath. "I'm going to give you the short answer. I looked in a mirror of water that showed me what could happen. I watched what could happen if I failed at my task. Your body was on a tall white tree, which was lit on fire. Merry and Pippin were slaves in factories. Legolas and Gimli and Boromir were surrounded by Orcs, though I did not see their fate. Frodo and Sam were killed before the Ring could be destroyed." She doesn't look at him, but instead stares at the floor between her toes as she talks. The fact that she doesn't mention herself doesn't escape him.

"And what of you?" She seems a bit surprised that he's not upset by her statements, and noticed her avoidance.

"I did not see myself," she answers truthfully, and he nods, accepting this answer.

"Alright, what else did you see?"

"That was all I saw in the mirror." He detects the truth in her words.

"That does not seem like it would take very long. What else happened?" She sighs.

"Lady Galadriel told me why I was brought here. I came here to learn what it means to be a hero. To give of yourself willingly, as it is my destiny to not only aid you here in your war, but to, apparently, go to other worlds and aid them in theirs." His eyebrows raise. "I was chosen because of my ability to persevere." An alarm sets off in his head as it detects the lie.

"You're lying to me, Alice. Why were you chosen, really?" She sighs.

"The truth would be much too difficult to explain, as it takes knowledge so far beyond what you already know that it would not only be imprudent, but extensive and long." He stares at her for a moment longer. "And it's what I told Legolas last night, knowing that he would accept that better than the truth, since you all believe in a higher power." He chuckles softly. "Just know that it strictly has to do with me, and it won't affect anything that's going on." He nods.

"Very well, I trust you, Alice." He can tell she understands the seriousness of him saying he trusts her, as he trusts so very few.

"She told me that Frodo would fail in destroying the Ring if there wasn't a tenth member of the Fellowship, and that because of why I really am here, I was selected by the Valar to come here. Because of my strength, Frodo will find it within himself to destroy the Ring, and at the same time, I will learn what it means to be a hero." He nods slowly. "Lady Galadriel said that I have already completed my task, but she didn't tell me if I failed or succeeded in it. She also told me that for the moment, there's nothing to be done but to rest. Apparently, once we leave, there will be a choice laid before me. One will destroy Rohan, and the other will save it." She sighs, frustrated. "Are all the wise people in Arda so vague?" He laughs louder and harder than he's laughed since… since a very, very long time ago. But it was barely what most would consider just a normal laugh.

"Yes, unfortunately. Welcome to Arda." She laughs with him for a minute, and when all is quiet again, he looks up at her from where his gaze had fallen to his lap. "So, what happens now?" She sighs again, and scratches the side of her face.

"Well, you go outside my door and wait for me to get a dress on, and then we'll go down to camp for breakfast. Just act like everything's normal." He nods and goes to stand. "Oh, and I didn't tell Legolas that last bit about Rohan and all that, so… let's just keep that between ourselves for the time being, eh?" He nods again.

"Of course. I will see you in a moment." He goes outside and waits a few moments, when he suddenly hears a call.

"Um, Aragorn? Could you help me with this?" He opens the door slowly, slightly afraid of what he might find, "Don't worry, I'm mostly decent." He rolls his eyes. _"Yes, that was supposed to bring me comfort?"_ When he gets the door open, she's got her dress on enough for her to be decent from the waist down, which she's holding up with one hand, and the other is holding a corset to her chest. She's looking at him in the reflection of her mirror. "I can't figure out how to tie the strings by myself. I don't know if you've ever done it before, but at least you'll be able to see what you're doing, whereas I have no idea." He purses his lips, and starts to shake to keep in the laughter. Her face deadpans. "Shut. Up." Still shaking, he approaches the half-naked woman.

"I didn't say a word."

It takes them about 10 minutes longer than it does Eletha, and about 15 minutes longer than it does Sitria, but they manage to get the corset tied up. Aragorn escorts Alice down to the clearing, the two talking softly about the history of the rangers, or at least as much as Aragorn knows. When they get to the bottom and enter the camp, everyone's eyes look up at them grimly. She knows immediately what's happened, and looks at Legolas.

"You told them?" She manages to keep the hurt out of her voice, as she doesn't know exactly how much he told them. He nods.

"I left out a few small parts I felt you may want to keep private, but-"

"A hero, Alice? Really? You're going to be a hero!" Pippin can't hold in his excitement, and he drops his plate to run over to her. He gives her a big smile. "If you ever come back here, tell us all about your adventures!" She laughs a little, and nods. She purses her lips.

"This isn't going to change anything, is it?" She had dropped Aragorn's arm a moment earlier, so it's easy for him to simply grab her hand and entwine their fingers.

"Not a thing, Alice. Not a thing." He says quietly, looking right into her eyes.

There's a moment where a silent conversation passes between them, her looking for reassurance and strength, and him quietly providing it. Fingolfin whispers that he's still here for her, too into her ear. Finally, she closes her eyes for a moment, rediscovering the resolve she'd shown the night before, and when she opens them again, the resolution is evident inside. She nods to him, and the two tear their eyes apart.

Breakfast passes in moderate silence, everyone still pretty grim-faced. About what, Alice isn't totally certain. Finally, she clamps her hand to her eyes, her shoulders sagging.

"Ugh, what is everyone so upset about? You would think I died, or something."

"You might as well have, Alice." Sam says quietly, "You could go at any time, and we don't know when, or if, you'll ever come back." He looks up at her, and she can see the depression in his eyes, "You're our friend, we're worried about you. You could die." She scoffs.

"So could you, if I recall! Isn't that why we're here, to die so Frodo won't? I mean, come on, we face death every day. Just cuz measley ol' me gets some, albeit strange news, doesn't mean that we have to go into utter depression!" She reaches across the fire and lightly slaps Merry across the cheek, "Come on! Cheer up; nothing bad has happened, so why are we acting like it? I mean, if you guys are still mourning Gandalf, okay, I understand that, but you were fine just last night. So that means that you must still upset about what's going on with me, when it's just not that big of a deal! Besides, I really doubt that the Valar are going to take me away when we're only a third of the way into this. I'll see this through to the end, or until I die whichever comes first, you'll see." Everyone slowly nods. Breakfast resumes, but conversation slowly picks back up.

_Later…_

Alice walks back into the camp, Haldir on her tail. The two are almost literally screaming at each other in French/Elvish, both with violins in hand. Haldir is almost red in the face, and Alice seems to almost be turning blue from having said so much on one breath. The entire Fellowship sits very still and quiet, half of them terrified, having never seen their beloved friend so enraged before, and the other half knowing to do this from experience. Finally, Haldir seems to say something especially insulting, and Alice slaps him across the face for it. She says something incredibly rude, what sounds similar to a 'yo momma' joke, and then spins on her heel and marches away, chin held high. Haldir stares after her, then turns around and storms away angrily.

She marches over to the fire and sits down, her burgundy dress almost catching fire. There are several long minutes of silence before Frodo decides to take a chance.

"Alice?" He asks, his voice wobbling just a little. She doesn't respond right away, instead she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Then she opens her eyes, and looks over at him.

"Yes, Fordo?"

"Is everything alright?" Sam asks for him. She chuckles a bit.

"That is a most excellent question." She gives a very small sigh, "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks for asking."

"You looked like you could decapitate poor Haldir just a moment ago." Aragorn states and Boromir laughs a bit.

"Of course, he looked like he was about ready to put a few arrows into you." Her 21st century thought process immediately takes that as an innuendo, and before she starts laughing out loud, she quickly shoves the thought aside.

"We were simply having a disagreement… that almost came to blows, but it was just a disagreement. We've been arguing about this since he first offered to give me lessons." She laughs a little, and then looks over at Frodo with a small smile, "I don't think he and I were meant to get along."

"What was the argument about?" Pippin asks curiously. She rolls her eyes.

"That man has absolutely no passion! He has no feeling, unless it's on the battlefield. I was trying to tell him that not only could music bring some form of passion back into his life, but it could even express the emotions he feels on the battlefield. I'm not quite a master at the violin yet, or else I would have proved my words with my music, and because of it, he refuses to believe a word I say." She huffs. "So frustrating." When she glances around after saying this, she's struck by the bewildered looks on her friends. "… What?" Legolas suddenly just smiles at her, and laughs a bit before turning to look at Aragorn next to him.

"Musicians," he says by way of explanation, "there have been many a time I have heard arguments similar to the one she just described taking place between the musicians in my father's court." Boromir gets a thoughtful look.

"I'd never really listened before, but I've heard the same thing in the courts of Minas Tirith." Alice rolls her eyes and huffs again.

"Men." She grumbles. "No passion, no feeling! Just simply live your life, do what needs to be done. No true living." She shakes her head, and pauses. "Except for you, Fingolfin, of course. But technically, you're dead, so you don't even really count." This causes laughter all around.

_The next morning…_

An elegant ship, carved in the likeness of a swan, flows through a river, with Galadriel standing in it. On the shore, cloaks are fastened around the Fellowship with green, silver-veined leaf-brooches.

"Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own people. May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes." Celeborn tells them as the cloaks are put on them. Elves prepare for the departure of the Fellowship. Legolas is among them, shifting parcels into a set of boats provided by the Galadhrim. He holds up a thin wafer for Merry and Pippin to see, as they sit in a boat, and Alice who stands behind him, helping him where she can.

"Lembas!" He says excitedly, "Elvish Way-bread. One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man." He walks up onto shore, leaving the Hobbits with Alice, who's simply laughing.

"How many did you eat?" She hears Merry whisper to Pippin.

"Four." He responds before burping, and Alice laughs harder before going onto the shore.

"Every league you travel south, the danger will increase. Mordor Orcs now hold the eastern shore of the Anduin." Celeborn tells them as they climb into the boats, and Legolas helps Gimli and then Alice onboard. Sam tries to steady himself, unfamiliar with water vessels.

A paddle splashes into the water. They row through the river, past the Elves onshore. The sun is reaching its rosy fingers over the hills; Caras Galadhon rises far away, in the mists. Voices sing with the rising dawn.

_"Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrien,  
>Yéni úntimë ve rámar aldaron!<br>yéni ve lintë yuldar avánier  
>mi oromardi lisse-miruvóreva<br>Andúnë pella Vardo tellumar  
>nu luini yassen tintilar i eleni…"<em>

(Alas! Like gold fall the leaves in the wind,  
>long years numberless as the wings of the trees!<br>The long years have passed like swift draughts  
>of the sweet mead in lofty halls beyond the West,<br>beneath the vaults of Varda wherein the stars  
>tremble in the song of her voice…)<p>

The voices continue, and Fingolfin whispers that it's a song of the sorrow of the Elves, of Lothlórien. As the boats move further downstream, her eyes grow distant as she smilingly remembers.

"My gift for you, Legolas," Galadriel says, "is a bow of the Galadhrim, worthy of the skill of our woodland kin." The she-Elf smiles, and turns to Merry and Pippin. "These are the daggers of the Noldorin. They have already seen service in war." Pippin's look gives away his fear. "Do not fear, young Peregrin Took. You will find your courage."

Alice's paddle splashes the water again, her and Gimli taking turns rowing. She point-refused to be treated as some damsel in distress, incapable of helping to bear the load, especially when it was something as small as rowing a boat, and leave it up to the men to do it. No, she would help. However, she was willing to agree to taking turns with the Dwarf behind her so she didn't have to row the whole way, unlike Legolas who was more than happy to.

"And for you, Samwise Gamgee: Elven rope, made of hithlain." Galadriel says as she hands the rope to the blonde Hobbit.

"Thank you, my lady." Alice doesn't miss his sidelong looks at the blades held by Merry and Pippin, and then his hopeful look at Galadriel. "Have you run out of those nice, shiny daggers?" The Lady of the Galadhrim smiles, and turns to the next Fellowship member in line. It is Gimli, who diverts his eyes downwards. Galadriel speaks, her golden hair shining beneath the poignant blues and whites and greens of the forest.

"And what gift would a Dwarf ask of the Elves?"

"Nothing." Gimli says, grunting. A change comes over him, and he looks up, "Except to look upon the Lady of the Galadhrim one last time, for she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the earth." Galadriel giggles, smiling at the Dwarf. He turns to walk away, then halts and turns back. "Actually, there was one thing — ah, agh, that's quite impossible. Stupid to ask."

Alice turns to look at Gimli, and sees a far away look in his eyes and a faint smile upon his face. He doesn't notice that she's spotted him, and she quickly turns back around before he does. She then glances over at Aragorn, thinking of him next, and catches his glance in their direction. She gives him a small smile, and he nods his head slightly before turning away. That's all it takes for her to know that he, too, is remembering.

Galadriel stands before Aragorn and places her hand on Arwen's Evenstar pendant.

"I have nothing greater to give, than the gift you already bear. Am meleth dîn. I ant e-guil Arwen Undómiel…pelitha." The two share a sorrowful look Alice does not understand until Fingolfin offers her a translation. **_"For her love, I fear the grace of Arwen Evenstar… will diminish."_**

"Aníron i e broniatha ar periatham amar hen. Aníron e ciratha a Valannor." Aragorn responds to the Lady. **_"I would have her leave these shores, and be with her people. I would have her take the ship to Valinor."_**

"That choice is yet before her. You have your own choice to make, Aragorn… to rise above the height of all your fathers since the days of Elendil, or to fall into darkness… with all that is left of your kin." There is silence for a moment. Branches shake, a spider web's glimmering strands sway in the wind. Galadriel glances at the pendant, and smiles. "Namárië. Nadath nâ i moe cerich." The Lady reaches up and touches his cheek, with Alice standing by, watching all silently. "Dan…ú-'eveditham, Elessar." **_"Farewell. There is much you have yet to do. We shall not meet again, Elessar."_**

Galadriel moves on from Aragorn, who goes to sit in a boa. She hands Frodo a crystalline vessel shaped like a teardrop, filled with clear water and a shining light.

"Farewell, Frodo Baggins. I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star." She kisses him on the forehead.

**_"That is a most precious gift."  
><em>**_"The kiss or the light of Eärendil?"  
><strong>"… Yes."<strong>_

Alice then recalls her own time with the Lady, as she dealt with the men first, choosing to speak to the young female last.

"For the Lady Alice," Galadriel starts, and the men stop to turn and see, "I give a gift that you must take great care of." She pulls a small vial, no bigger than Alice's smallest finger out from her robes, "This was forged by the Valar at the beginning of creation, when they first foresaw all that would come to pass concerning you." She hands over the vial, and Alice sees that is filled with a purple liquid. "It is the blood of the Valar. When that which is gold, glimmers again, drink it, and it will take to your time. If any other should take this from you to drink themselves, it shall be as poison to them and their kin, and all of their family shall die." Not knowing what to quite do or say for a whole moment, Alice kind of simply stares at the elixir in her hand in shock.

When she looks up, she sees Galadriel's arms opened wide, offering her something she hasn't had in a very long time. She quickly takes Galadriel's hug, feeling the loving embrace of that which she has not felt since she was a teenager. A few tears escape, and she quickly wipes them away. When she pulls back, the Elf offers an explanation.

"I know all of that which transpired between you and your mother, and I know you have not felt the love of a mother since you were only 16 years of age." Alice wipes away one stray tear.

"Thank you, Lady Galadriel. You have given me everything I could have ever asked for and more. I shall be eternally in your debt." The Elf puts a hand on her shoulder.

"You may repay me by doing what we discussed." The mortal doesn't miss the pointed look, and quickly nods.

"Yes, milady."

The Fellowship sails out onto the river and leaves Lórien behind. White mountains rise starkly beneath blue skies and green trees. In the boats, Gimli talks to Legolas and Alice.

"I have taken my worst wound at this parting, having looked my last upon that which is fairest. Haugh, henceforth I will call nothing fair unless it be her gift to me."

"What was it?" Legolas asks curiously, and Gimli grins.

"I asked her for one hair from her golden head. She gave me three." Legolas smiles.

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><p><strong>You guys... are SO FREAKING AMAZING! I was jk about the 40 reviews, and I get a msg from Umbreon666 saying that I have 41! I've been having a wonderful time in Yellowstone, and we're at a place where I have wireless, so I'm gonna go ahead and put up the chapters I have while I have internet. I'll be home either this Saturday or this Sunday, not sure which yet.<strong>

**Okay, there, my gateway to other stories has been opened. Vote now on where you think she should go next, I'm going to put up a poll on my site. Flames about the idea are welcomed, as they will all be emailed to Blade, lol.**

**By the way, what IS IT with you guys and hating Boromir? Geez, what has he ever done to you? LOL. I was hoping there would be like a Team Boromir vs. Team Legolas thing, but everyone's on Team Legolas, lolololol. XD**

**On to the reviews!**

**Lyane - Hey, good to see you back! I was starting to wonder where you'd gotten off to. (I'm reading the Hobbit (again), and I just got past the part with the trolls at the beginning, and the Dwarves kept saying, "Now where has Gandalf gotten off to?" and I have been DYING to use that phrase since then XD)  
>Chap 11: Hahahaha! Well, I'm glad you think of my story so highly! Christmas, indeed, lol. Oh, nonono, that was never my intention for them to physically fight, strictly verbal. ROFL! Frying Pan of Doom. I'm officially scared. XD<br>****Chap 12: Because he felt like he should say it in private and didn't have a chance! LOL, you were my last hope for someone liking Boromir, and you have failed me. Jk. Go ahead and call him a fossil, lolz, he's like, over 2,000 yrs old. Thank you, I like that idea too, makes it more fun to write. XD  
>Chap 13: Rofl! Ikr? They are such a good team, and they're very good for each other.<br>Chap 14: That is a very, very excellent saying. I will have to remember that. Yes, it is fair, lol.  
><strong>**Chap 15: ... I did not know that, else I woulda put that in this chapter, lolz. That would have been funny, but totally inappropriate and SO out of place here, lolz. No, no HaldirxAlice, lol. I was afraid she may become a Mary Sue if *everyone* liked her, so she had to fight someone. Haldir was simply an easy choice. The black was going to have meaning... and then I got lazy, and changed my mind. LOL. I detailed it in case if someone couldn't open the website, then they could still, at least, get kind of an idea in their mind of what the dress looked like.**

**heart of fire 97 - Yup, they talked, lolz. Ikr? I hate cliffhangers, cuz it's like being left in suspense until you find out what happens next. Thanks for reviewing! =D**

**Luna - Hahahaha, yup, that they are. IKR? I love that dress! I want it SOOOOOOO bad! Yup, Yellowstone, hahaha. I had a great time, thanks. =)**

**QueenSword - Well, just wait until it gets a little further along. I was trying to do a book style, but I eventually gave up on it as it wasn't easy to write like that. Thank you for reviewing! =D**

**Gwilwillith - Thank you! Oh goodness, lol, I hope not, haha. Wait until you see what happens with Grima and Theoden! There will be some major clashing going on, haha... O crap, did I just spoil my own story? ROFL! XD**

_Next time on Alice in Middle Earth: The Quest to destroy Sauron's One Ring takes the Fellowship down the Anduin river. Alice senses danger around every corner, knowing that something is coming yet not knowing what. Will Alice have the chance to tell Boromir one last time how much she loves him before he dies? Will Boromir survive? Will she flee with Frodo, be taken with Merry and Pippin, or chase Orcs with Legolas and the others? Find out tomorrow!_


	17. Chapter 16

**Okay, so, at the last minute, I decided to put this up in a 3-pt series, as it is in the original... Don't ask me why I decided to do this, cuz I have no idea, LOLZ.**

**Thank you so, so, much to all of my reviewers and everyone who has helped me get this far. I'm so proud of how far I've made it, and I couldn't be any more happy with how this has turned out. Again, thank you! Please enjoy this last chapter. =D**

**Disclaimer: I own only Alice. Everything else goes to J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson. **

* * *

><p>The day passes in moderate silence, Alice humming various love songs she can remember to herself, trying to remember them all. She had learned to play possibly hundreds of them on her guitar, and since it was much too difficult to play her violin in a moving boat, she would have to transpose it all from memory to her penny whistle. It's a slow and tiring process, but Gimli enjoys listening to her play, so he conveniently "forgets" to give her the oars when it comes to be her turn, and she gets so caught up in her work that she loses all track of time. Legolas occasionally tries to get the Dwarf to give it up, but the small bearded one is too stubborn. Alice scolds him for it when she realizes, almost whacking him with the whistle once. By the end of the day, she only has five songs transposed, bringing her total up to nine songs she can play on it, but she does not give up hope and continues trying.<p>

The next day, a huge flock of birds passes overhead, and Alice and Aragorn watch them with some concern. She brings her total up to twelve.

That night, she lays in her blankets, trying to stay warm near the now put out fire, curled up between the very warm Hobbits. She can't sleep, having the feeling since they left Lórien that something – or someone – has been following them, and she can't shake it. Normally, the sounds of water, from rain to waves, have been able to put her to sleep faster than anything else. Water, for some reason, has always been able to relax her. But tonight is different, Fingolfin can hear something else in the water, splashing it behind the sound of the waves. It's unsettling, and the feeling worsens when she hears Boromir and Aragorn.

"Gollum." Aragorn says certainly. "He has tracked us since Moria." The ranger can see the creature clinging to the side of a log, trying to remain concealed. "I had hoped we would lose him on the river, but he's too clever a waterman."

"And if he alerts the Enemy to our whereabouts, it will make the crossing more dangerous." She can hear Frodo and Sam having a conversation, the latter trying to get the former to eat something, though he refuses. She tries her hardest to listen past them and to hear the rest of what Aragorn and Boromir are saying. "Minas Tirith is the safer road. You know that. From there we can regroup. Strike out for Mordor from a place of strength."

"There is no strength in Gondor that can avail us."

"You were quick enough to trust the Elves." Although she doesn't know why, somehow in the last two months she has been in Middle Earth, she has learned how to almost sense the emotions of her seemingly emotionless friend, able to read him like an open book if she can see his face. The two have almost become like twins, no, like magnets. They move, act, think, react, and there are no words spoken. Because of this, she knows that even though he is listening to Boromir's words, he is impatient with him, and she can hear the desperate tone in the Stewards voice. "Have you so little faith in your own people? Yes, there is weakness. There is frailty. But there is courage also, and honor to be found in Men. But you will not see that." She hears Aragorn begin to move away, and stiffens, hoping he doesn't notice she's awake. He doesn't have the chance, as Boromir grabs the ranger's tunic and turns him back around. "You are afraid!" _"That was __so__ not a good idea."_ "All your life, you have hidden in the shadows." Now she knows that Aragorn is calm again, though again, she's not totally certain how. "Scared of who you are, of what you are." She hears the soft noise of a tunic being readjusted, and feet shuffling. Then they rapidly repeat the movement.

"I will not lead the Ring within a hundred leagues of your city."

Alice lays totally stiff as the two go to bed.

_The next morning…_

Alice is still totally stiff, her thoughts still focused totally on what happened the night before. When Aragorn came to wake her that morning, he gave her a look that read very, very clearly that he knew she had been awake last night. She didn't respond.

She stares straight ahead, speaking as little as possible to anyone. Legolas knows something's wrong, but when he pulled her aside to ask her, she said she would tell him later. She can feel his eyes in her back, but she refuses to turn around. Suddenly, she notices something approaching.

"Frodo." She hears Aragorn say to catch the Hobbit's attention.

Before them are two huge rock statues, towering like 300 foot pinnacles on either side of the river. They are carved images two men, and they loom over the boats with majesty. They are dressed in huge robes, and have they're left hands out as a warning.

"The Argonath…" Her ranger friend says just loud enough for everyone to hear. She glances at him, and sees how he is strangely moved by the large statues. "Long have I desired to look upon the kings of old… my kin." Everyone stares in stunned silence as the current takes them between the two statues. On the other side, there's a large lake only a mile down river.

The entire Fellowship hops out of the boats as quickly as possible as they land on the shore of Nen Hithoel.

"We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the North." Alice's eyes shut as the hundred different maps swarm her mind, images flashing before her as she tries to figure out what he's talking about. Gimli beats her to it.

"Oh, yes, just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks. And after that, it gets even better ... a festering, stinking marshland as far as the eye can see." The Dwarf says gloomily, and Alice shudders, remembering the last marshland she waded through.

"That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf." She slams her lips shut to contain the laughter as Gimli becomes indignant.

"Recover my…" She tunes out the Dwarf's grumbling as Legolas turns and speaks quietly to Aragorn.

"We should leave now." There is an urgency in his tone Alice doesn't like.

"No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness."

"It is not the Eastern shore that worries me." She follows Legolas' cast glance into the Parth Galen forest. "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near, I can feel it."

"As can I." She says, speaking for Fingolfin, who had been whispering concerns to her since they left Lórien. Aragorn looks at both of them, his look telling them he knows full well what they mean. There's a beat.

"Where's Frodo?" Merry asks, and Sam, who had fallen asleep, sits straight up. Aragorn and Alice's heads whip around, both of their gazes falling on Boromir's abandoned shield and they realize that he's gone.

Aragorn orders everyone to stay where they are as he charges into the forest, and then tells Legolas that if he doesn't return in ten minutes with Frodo, and with or without Boromir, to take Fingolfin and Gimli and come in after him. As soon as the ranger is gone, Alice quickly stands, and marches over to Legolas. He can see the conflicted look in her eyes, and she doesn't have to tell him that she wants to speak with him alone for him to know. He turns to Gimli, and tells him he's in charge as the Dwarf prepares a fire. The bearded one quirks an eyebrow at him, but says nothing. The two walk a ways down the shore, enough to not be heard but not far enough to not be seen, just in case.

"What is it?" He whispers, drawing her close in his usual fashion. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and then looks up at him, her eyes no longer conflicted.

"I've made up my mind." He swallows, hard, and she can see the conflicted look that was once in her eyes now in his.

"What is your decision?" She takes another shaky breath.

"You, Legolas."

His eyes widen to a huge proportion, and nothing is said for about two seconds. He suddenly grabs her around the waist, kisses her fiercely, and spins them around a couple of times, unable to contain his utter joy and not caring that the four short ones are now staring at them in confusion. She laughs when they stop spinning, and his lips finally release hers in favor of oxygen.

"What," he starts, still trying to catch his breath, "What made up your mind?"

"Mostly your love, which you have never ceased in giving me all of. I know that with you, nothing could come between us. That you will always love me, no matter what happens." She looks up into his eyes, a knowing expression on her face. "You know why this is not true of Boromir." He shakes his head.

"Not now, now this is a precious moment. Just us, no Ring, and no war." His hands cup her cheeks, and he lets their foreheads rest against each other in a moment of pure love and silence, even though he has to bed over a little to compensate for her small stature. The moment passes. "We must go. Aragorn has been gone too long." He opens his eyes and looks at her. "I need the help of your friend." She rolls her eyes.

"Very well."

"_**AWESOME!"**_

The three charge into the forest, not knowing that Sam, Merry, and Pippin were hot on their heels. Fingolfin has already taken control, and his superior hearing tells him that Aragorn is in trouble. The ranger, in all of his bravery, is surrounded by 200 Uruk-Hai. Elvish arrows rush into the clearing, striking down the savage beasts, to be quickly followed by the blonde archer who unleashed them. The Dwarf and ancient warrior leap in after them, brandishing axe and sword. Alice is left in awe as her body whips Ringil around like a toothpick, slicing through the creatures like cheese.

Her heart seems to stop for a moment as a loud horn blows some distance away. Legolas and Aragorn share a look.

"The horn of Gondor!" The Elf Prince states.

"Boromir!" The ranger elaborates.

Aragorn hurriedly begins slashing through the Uruk-Hai towards the Steward, while the other three defend the rear. The ranger disappears from Fingolfin's sight in the midst of the carnage, making the Elf Lord grunt in displeasure. He sends up a silent prayer that the man will not get himself killed in all this slaughter. Ringil sings its pleasure as it's flicked about, rejoicing in the split Orc blood.

Fingolfin charges past the rest of the Uruk-Hai, racing to find the ranger and the Steward. He sees Aragorn slice through a particularly large Orc, and Boromir slumped against a tree. Quickly casting his hearing about, he knows there is no immediate threat, and so let's Alice have control. She races to Boromir's side, arriving just seconds before Aragorn, her tears already falling.

"Boromir…" she whispers, and he gasps painfully.

"They took the little ones…" Aragorn tries to stop the bleeding, and Boromir suddenly becomes panicked. "Frodo, where is Frodo?" Alice's eyes flick to the ranger, and she chokes back a sob.

"I let Frodo go." The Steward holds his gaze.

"Then you did what I could not. I tried to take the Ring from him."

"The Ring is beyond our reach now." Aragorn tells him.

"Forgive me, I did not see… I have failed you all." Alice's head leans in on Boromir's good shoulder, sobs wracking her body. This is the man she fell in love with at Rivendell. The same man she saw in a clearing in Lothlórien.

"No, Boromir, you have fought bravely. You have kept your honor." Aragorn tries to bind the Steward's wound.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Alice sobs. He reaches up and pets her hair.

"No, I am sorry, Alice. I love you."

"No, Boromir, you can't apologize, because you can't die. We have to keep going, you have to show me Minas Tirith, you have to introduce me to Faramir, and, and" sobs wrack her body and he gently wipes away her tears. "I love you, too, Boromir."

"My one regret is not loving you more." He whispers to her, and she sniffles.

"You loved me enough." She tells him. She leans forward, and kisses him softly. When she pulls away, he leans back.

"You must love him, now. He will do all the things that I wish I had. Tell him… tell him to love you more than any man has loved a woman before." She nods, her brain really not even comprehending the words anymore. His face is pale. Too pale. "Leave it!" He suddenly says to Aragorn, who has been quiet. "It is over… the world of Men will fall and all will come to darkness and my city to ruin… Aragorn…"

"I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you ... I will not let the White City fall, nor your people fail..." The heir of Isildur swears, and more tears escape Alice's eyes.

"Our people ... our people..." Boromir corrects, and Aragorn places the Steward's sword in his hand, and his fingers tighten around the hilt. "I would have followed you, my brother…" he seems to stop and think, "my captain, my king." Her breath catches in her throat as Boromir lies back down. He is dead.

"Be at peace, son of Gondor." Aragorn says quietly as Alice clutches his body, tears escaping.

In the back of her mind, she hears the soft footsteps of Gimli and Legolas. Aragorn stands and walks over the Elf Prince and Gimli surprises her. He mimics the action she performed just two weeks prior in Moria, when he found out his cousin Balin was dead. In the few moments he had to mourn his loss, she embraced him and rested her head next to his. Now, in her moment of mourning, he kneels down next to her, embraces her with one arm, and rests his head next to hers, repaying the favor she gave him. She knows that in that moment, even though the two of them had done little but tease each other, a true friendship has been forged.

"They will look for his coming from the White Tower… but he will not return." She hears Aragorn say distantly.

When an argument proceeds about what to do with the body, Alice decides that they will place him in a raft and push him down the Anduin. Too weak from the effort of defeating their foes and then the emotional strain of losing Boromir, the shock of which has yet to wear off, she just picks up his torn horn and follows the three men as they carry his body. She places the horn at his side after they finish, and kisses his forehead, whispering her love to him. The boat floats down the river in almost slow motion, and disappears a few minutes later over the massive Falls of Rauros. Another sob shakes Alice to her core, but she pushes aside those feelings, shoving them into the part of her subconscious where she is still mourning Gandalf. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Legolas pushing the last boat into the water.

"If we are quick, we will catch Frodo and Sam before nightfall." Aragorn doesn't react, and she doesn't have to look at him to know that he's watching Frodo and Sam disappearing into the forest on the distance shore. "You mean not to follow them…"

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands."

"Then it has all been in vain… the Fellowship has failed." Aragorn turns to them, putting a hand on the Dwarf's shoulder.

"Not if we hold true to each other. We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death, not while we have strength left." Even though pain still lingers, Alice smirks, and can already hear Ringil singing once more. The ranger pulls out a hunting knife. "Leave all that can be spared behind." He looks at the foreign woman next to him, a steely gleam in his eye. "We travel light. Let's hunt some Orc."

They take off in the woods, closely following the Uruk-Hai's trail, determined to find their young friends.

_**END OF ALICE IN MIDDLE EARTH: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING**_

_**NEXT UP:**_

_**ALICE IN MIDDLE EARTH: THE TWO TOWERS**_


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